Sometimes the great unwashed need reminding of Johnny Sexton's value to Irish rugby. Amidst all his minor injuries, people can forget about the man who guided Leinster to a miracle European title in 2011, and two more either side, along with back-to-back Six Nations titles.
"Everyone has the utmost confidence in him," said Joe Schmidt of the Irish players, "Whenever Johnny makes a call, everyone responds to it."
Sexton and Conor Murray dominated the opening 40 minutes, equally stalling the French tide with the sort of rapid thinking only great rugby players possess.
But Sexton finding his groove was something to behold; sprinkling urgency all over Ireland’s offence with a quick tap, that trademark looping break allied by instinct to chip over hard rushing French scramblers. There was even an offload in heavy contact.
He began in error. After nine minutes the ball went slicing off his right boot and out on the full.
“In a measured way, I thought he was really, really positive for us,”
Schmidt went on. “There were a couple of great kicks in behind them that allowed us keep the pressure on.”
That settled Sexton enough for the glorious, albeit predictable moment on 27 minutes when he the French defence was cut apart. The out-to-in decoy runners stalled enough heavies long enough for that familiar arcing Sexton run to catapult him into open country. This saw the majority of his 67 metres gobbled up – a stat that leaves him top of the game’s ball carrying tally – but it was the unorthodox chip that followed which would have Beauden Barrett taking notes in Otago, and Dan Carter concurring from Parisian isolation.
That instinctive action spread panic in the France rearguard. Yoann Huget was picked to handle this exact situation but the Toulouse wing couldn't back-track in time to yell mark as Keith Earls was elbowed out of a try by Noa Nakaitaci.
Ireland squeezed and twisted the ensuing French scrum – Jack McGrath having convinced Nigel Owens of Rabah Slimani's illegal technique – until Robbie Henshaw put Sexton in the shade to carry hard and allow Conor Murray spot an invisible chink in the blue line.
Sexton wasn’t for missing either, the conversion finally putting Ireland into a 7-6 lead that they, that their outhalf, refused to surrender.
On 35 minutes Sexton went for the jugular, tapping and charging much like he did in the downing of a Grand Slam hunting English side way back in 2011.
He prepares himself incredibly well, he has a competitive edge that makes him want to be at his best all the time
The second half events have been seen many times before; it is the story of Sexton's career. Bashed twice, once on the ball by French captain Guilhem Guirado, and then late by Eddy Ben Arous, he kept smashing into rucks well after the hour mark, before the French waned enough for Schmidt to allow Paddy Jackson close matters out from the 69th minute (Jackson did just that with a late penalty to make it 19-9).
But Sexton remains Ireland’s maestro with dirty gloves, making 10 bloody-minded tackles, yet nailing that 46th minute penalty to make it 10-6. A minute later he made a shuddering hit on Remi Lamerat and clearly the juices were flowing – perhaps convinced he was a lock like little brother Jerry in London Irish – Sexton clattered into a breakdown, hurting both neck and chest. Old wounds, seemingly.
But the 31-year-old only considers withdrawal via incapacitation or when victory is locked up.
On 49 minutes he made it 13-6 with a drop goal, in full knowledge that a penalty, from a worse position, would follow.
Good international players cannot do that. Only the great.
Ireland’s now dominant scrum offered him the chance to make it a 10 point game on 54 minutes. So he did. The Ben Arous late shot followed soon after. He got up and played on until the 69th minute.
“He never shirks his defensive responsibilities, Johnny, and we aimed to give him 50, 55 minutes of the game. He had the wind knocked out of him, and had a two minute rest, so we gave him a bit longer.”
What does this performance say about Sexton, Schmidt was asked.
“It’s based on experience. It’s certainly not the first time that Johnny has done this. He prepares himself incredibly well, he has a competitive edge that makes him want to be at his best all the time.
“He felt good, he felt fresh.”
Murray – behind a hugely effective Ireland pack – would have ensured any Irish outhalf prospered in this game.
"I think Conor is pretty much his own man," said Schmidt. "Whether it is Paddy Jackson or Johnny or as it was during November at times, Joey Carbery, he is very easy to play with any of those players because he gives you time and space on the ball. He is a superb passer of the ball and he takes his own responsibilities, like when he slide that ball down the touchline to carve off 45 metres.
“That gave us superb breathing space and a set piece we could structure our defence off.”
