In at the deep end but Sexton out to bring value to Farrell's Lions camp

Sexton hopes that with Ireland "there will be a bit more of that responsibility" to his role in the future. 

Jamison Gibson-Park and assistant coach Jonathan Sexton. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan

It took all of 30 seconds for Johnny Sexton to jump into the deep waters of elite coaching with Ireland and the British & Irish Lions but the fly-half legend thinks he would have regretted it for the rest of his life if he had not dived in.

Twenty months after turning his back on rugby when he hung up his boots at the end of the 2023 World Cup and began life in the business world, Sexton was speaking at University College Dublin on Monday as an assistant to Lions head coach Andy Farrell. The Lions, now complete with the arrival of a victorious 12-strong Leinster contingent following Saturday’s URC title victory, and three English Premiership finalists from champions Bath and runners-up Leicester Tigers, are almost up to their full complement ahead of Friday night’s non-Test international and pre-tour warm-up against Argentina at Aviva Stadium.

Just returned from a six-day Lions training camp in Portugal, primarily working with available fly-halves Fin Smith and Marcus Smith, he admitted there had been some trepidation about entering the coaching world at such an exalted level.

The Test centurion and former Ireland captain, a two-time Lions tourist as a player in 2013 and 2017, had returned to the Irish camp at Farrell’s invitation on a part-time basis last November and was back in a similar capacity for this season’s Six Nations campaign.

The IRFU announced Sexton would become a full-time coach with the national team next season but Farrell appointed him old to his Lions staff for this summer’s tour to Australia and he confessed he had been a little daunted by his new status.

“Yeah, of course there would be that type of… as a player I would have always doubted myself throughout the years, whether it was coming into the Irish set-up for the first time or when you become a Lions for the first time, or Leinster.

“You always have those doubts. It’s no different now. You’re going in, you want to prove yourself, you want to show that you can bring value.

“Yeah, it was something I considered when Andy picked up the phone, you’re kind of going ‘wow’. It’s such an honour, how can you say no? Like, I didn’t pick myself. He asked me to come, I considered it for about 30 seconds and ultimately how could you? I’d have regretted it for the rest of my life.” 

Sexton added that he would be kidding himself if he had resisted the pull of the sport he graced for more than 20 years as a professional.

"I think when Andy asked me to come back in, in November, I knew deep down that I was going to miss it. It wasn't until I was back in it that I missed it. Sometimes you try and kid yourself when you're out of it and you're watching and you're going, you feel a bit detached from it.

“So, it was comfortable. When you're starting a new job, in a new line of work, you're learning. I was learning a lot, but it's hard to contribute because you're sitting in a room with people that have 20 years, 30 years’ experience in the industry. Whereas, that's my now. I've had 20 years’ experience. Yes, I haven't coached but the role that I'm in allows me to I suppose give some experience without having too much responsibility in terms of the team, being able to influence it in certain ways so it's been a good balance with how I've started off.

“I'm hoping that with the Ireland set-up, there will be a bit more of that responsibility and we'll see how that progresses over the next while.” 

Sexton said he was looking forward to a front row seat for the upcoming duel between Farrell and his Irish predecessor Joe Schmidt, the current Australia boss whom the fly-half had played under for a decade at Leinster and Ireland. He had been viewed as Schmidt’s on-pitch coach and addressing the upcoming series Sexton said: "Maybe that's why Andy asked me.

"Maybe that was part of it, I am not sure you would have to ask him.

"I'm sure Joe has evolved as well. He has left the country since 2019, he has been in different jobs Blues, New Zealand, now Australia, and I am sure he has evolved and has changed.

"But I doubt if he has changed some of the big factors that he always coaches, the importance of the ruck, both sides of the ball, how he looks at the game, how he breaks us down, those type of things.

"Like you say, very knowledgeable but Andy knows him well, Simon Easterby knows him well and he knows them so it is going to be... I suppose the best thing for a neutral watching in, it is going to be pretty fascinating in how they take each other on.” 

Ioane jibe still stings Sexton

Leinster’s decision to sign All Blacks centre Rieko Ioane from December to June next year has not gone down well with Johnny Sexton.

The two have been engaged in a spat since they exchanged words after New Zealand’s 2023 World Cup quarter-final victory over Ireland. The Irish fly-half legend claimed in his autobiography last year that Ioane had told him: “Don’t miss your flight tomorrow. Enjoy your retirement,” with the addition of an expletive.

Sexton was not on the field when next the two nations met in Dublin last November yet Ioane celebrated their victory by posting a picture of him leading the Haka, accompanied by the words: “Put that in the book.” 

Sexton’s Lions press conference closed with the question, did he ever think he would see Reiko Ioane at Leinster?

"Wow, save the best for last,” the assistant coach replied. “I purchased my Munster season ticket last week, put it that way...”