A compilation has been put together of Ireland fly half Johnny Sexton’s backchat to referees which has been a constant talking point throughout his career.
The 36-year-old veteran is due to make his 100th Test match appearance this Autumn and the Ireland captain has been known to give referees grief over the years at both club and international level.
YouTuber Andrew Forde has recently made a five-minute montage to highlight Sexton’s controversial interactions with officials which throughout his career have split opinion among fans.
Many of the game’s top players run a fine line with referees in the modern game and Sexton is no exception, however fans will nevertheless be celebrating his achievements when he puts on the green jersey for the 100th time in November.
Sexton, who was dropped by Warren Gatland for this summer’s British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa, will likely lead Ireland on the pitch during this autumn’s Test matches against Japan, New Zealand and Argentina.
“Will it be hard? Yes, it is going to be a challenge, a lot of guys could be a bit undercooked, having not played many games for their clubs,” said Sexton earlier this week.
“We are playing against teams which are battle-hardened. We have to set our standards high and expect performances of ourselves.
“We proved over the Six Nations we have big performances in us, but we need to make sure they are in us across the three games.”
As well as his impressive international record, Sexton has made 175 appearances for Leinster on top of a further 40 games for European giants Racing 92 between 2013-15.
The veteran is also relishing playing in front of a packed home crowd in Dublin for the first time since the outbreak of Covid-19.
“We have missed the crowd so much, especially for the home games,” added Sexton.
“It was something I took for granted and then when they are not there you kind of get used to it a bit, but to have them back has been brilliant.
“We have had some great crowds with Leinster, but a full crowd at the Aviva for an international, there is nothing like that, so we can’t wait.”
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