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JUST WHEN HE thought he was out, they pulled him back in.
Johnny Sexton moved on from rugby upon retiring after the 2023 World Cup. He went straight into a new job as chief of staff for Ardagh Group, who produce glass and metal products.
Sexton had an offer from the IRFU to switch straight into coaching, but he said he didn’t want to immediately be coaching lads he had just been playing with. Indeed, Sexton said he wasn’t sure he ever wanted to be a coach at all.
Today, Sexton sat in the swank UCD University Club after coaching a Lions training session in the sun at the UCD Bowl, and admitted that deep down, he sensed he would struggle to stay away from the game.
“Maybe I was tricking myself, I’m not sure,” said a relaxed Sexton, who took up a part-time role with Ireland last autumn and will move into a full-time position with the IRFU next season, having had a full-on summer as one of Andy Farrell’s Lions assistants.
His IRFU role will mean continuing to work with Farrell’s Ireland, as well as with men’s and women’s Irish age-grade teams.
Farrell was the one who convinced Sexton to get back into the game. He rang his former out-half and captain ahead of the November Tests, explaining that he felt Ireland’s kickers and young out-halves needed some guidance.
Sexton enjoyed that, so they rolled on into the Six Nations, with the 39-year-old taking on even more responsibility in the Ireland set-up. He started to join the group on match days.
“I loved it, I loved being back in an environment where I was comfortable,” said Sexton.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in rugby and felt I had a bit to give back to those number 10s, and the leadership group, trying to help them out.
“Then obviously I got the phone call from Faz to do both roles and it would obviously have to be full-time and I jumped at it.
“It’s something I kind of always wanted to get into deep down and the reason I didn’t was I didn’t really want to coach lads I’d played with so that break was good for me, albeit that it was only for a full year.
“And the other reason was because I’m not the guy who wants to go and travel, go to France, go to New Zealand, a bit like O’Gara has done. I don’t want to do that. I want to be in Ireland… but I’ve got to concentrate on the here and now.
“That’s ultimately how I made the decision. I’ve got to make myself happy here and now, and not worry about the future. If it’s only for two years, it’s only for two years. We’ll see what happens, just enjoy the moment and try to make the most of it.”
His brief period outside rugby was valuable, Sexton feels.
“It was a great experience for me. I learned a lot, I threw myself into it. I was in it for the long haul in my own mind.
“But, having made the decision now, I feel I’m where I should be in terms of in sport, in rugby and loving being part of it and trying to challenge myself.”
A year-long gap might have helped, but the reality is that Sexton has been coaching many of his former team-mates with Ireland and will do so again this summer with the Lions.
He said there are pros and cons.
“I know these guys really well and with that comes a challenge in how you deal with them, particularly when they’re friends. And it’s the same thing when you’re meeting people for the first time, there’s pros and cons with that.
“You have to try to get to know them as people, get to know their strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes you can have a perception of a player from what you see through a TV screen. Then you can see something different live, you can see a different person to what you expected. I’m enjoying being back, that’s the main thing.”
Being part of this Lions tour was all the more alluring for Sexton because he missed out on selection in 2021 when Warren Gatland decided to omit him. Having been a Lion in 2013 and 2017, Sexton understands that it’s “right up there” in terms of career highs.
So he’s excited to be stuck into his third Lions tour. Sexton was with the squad in Portugal last week and now in Dublin this week as they prepare for Friday night’s opening warm-up game against Argentina in the Aviva Stadium.
His role centres around the Lions’ kicking game, so he will be working closely with Fin Smith and Marcus Smith, who were in camp in Portugal, and Finn Russell, who will join today following Bath’s Premiership success.
“Remarkably talented, great characters, great people,” said Sexton of the Lions out-halves.
But it seems obvious that Sexton will have a big influence in this Lions set-up beyond just the kicking and the out-halves.
“Hopefully, I can add value because that’s ultimately what you want when you come into a job,” he said. “You want to feel like you’re making a difference and I want the players to say, ‘He’s been good for me.’
“I want to impart some of the knowledge that I’ve picked up over 17 years as a pro, to give it back.”
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