GAVIN CUMMISKEYtalks to Jonathan Sexton ahead of Leinster's trip to Wembley this Saturday

LEINSTER WILL not be the first Irish rugby team to play at Wembley stadium when they meet Saracens on Saturday.

Eleven years ago the Welsh borrowed the famous venue for their Five Nations home games as the Millennium Stadium was being built.

On February 20th, 1999, Ireland, then coached by Warren Gatland, beat Wales 29-23 thanks to tries from Keith Wood, who side-stepped Scott Gibbs before touching down, and Kevin Maggs while David Humphreys kicked 19 points.

England beat Scotland 24-21 over at Twickenham so there was a unique mix of four nations celebrating and drowning their sorrows in London that night.

Brian O’Driscoll missed out as he was on the cusp of breaking into the Irish squad. He sat on the bench against Italy a few weeks later, before making his Test bow in Australia that summer.

A second, and surely the last, chance to walk out at Wembley may slip past the man who succeeded Wood as Irish captain due to a hamstring tweak.

“Brian’s been in great form, looked really sharp for the first few games of the season,” said Jonny Sexton. “If he’s gone, we’ve got two good replacements in Fergus McFadden and Eoin O’Malley – whoever gets called upon, or he (Joe Schmidt) could juggle again and use Shane (Horgan) or Isa (Nacewa) there. Whoever he puts in there, we’re confident with the squad we have.

“The two young lads – this could be their time. This could be their breakthrough game. So that’s the way we have to look at it. I suppose everyone gets a break at some point in their career and this could be theirs.”

Sexton got his big chance at Croke Park just minutes into the 2009 Heineken Cup semi-final when Felipe Contepomi (due in Limerick this Saturday to meet some old friends) hobbled off the field to leave the St Mary’s man with a difficult shot at goal.

Wembley though, is something special in its own right.

The feats of Irishmen are littered throughout the long history of the stadium.

It’s where Bob Geldof told us that “the lesson today is how to die” as he spearheaded Live Aid in 1985.

It’s where George Best reached the pinnacle of his career by helping Manchester United trounce Benfica 4-1 in the 1968 European Cup final.

The Leinster players will have grown up watching FA Cup finals there and some may even remember Kevin Moran’s red card in the 1985 decider for thundering into Everton’s Peter Reid (after Paul McGrath, of all people, lost possession).

“It’s going to be a strange one, but Joe said it this morning, it’s going to be our only chance to play there,” Sexton continued. “It’s important we go out and try to make a good memory of it and have some fond memories of going there.

“We’re all looking forward to playing there. It’s going to be a tough game and we’re going to have a good week in training and build into it.”

The incumbent Irish outhalf hopes to be given back the place-kicking duties against Saracens on Saturday now his calf strain has healed.

“I suppose it’s difficult for a kicker when the touchlines are so far away from the stand, rather than when they are nice and tight to it, but I’m sure we’ll get used to it after one run-out. I suppose having played in Croke Park will stand to you when you play in such a big stadium.”

Sexton seems to relish these bigger occasions having produced excellent displays in Croke Park against Munster but particularly against South Africa last November and Murrayfield against Leicester.

Now for Wembley.