October 14th 2023.
On Saturday evening, Johnny Sexton experienced a heartbreaking conclusion to his international rugby career. The All Blacks edged out Ireland 28-24 in a thrilling quarter-final tie in Paris, and Sexton was in tears after the final whistle.
As Sexton walked around the pitch, his nine-year-old son, Luca, offered some words of support. “You’re the best dad,” Luca said, eliciting an emotional response from the legendary Irish fly-half.
“I’m very proud of the boys, I’m proud of the nation and the country,” Sexton said. “We couldn’t have done anymore. We got over the line towards the end and it is just fine margins. We felt they sucker punched us with a few tries and we had to work really hard for our scores. That’s what champions do. They are a great team. We knew they were going to be a massive challenge and we fell just short.”
Sexton had nothing but admiration for the All Blacks. “Fair play to them. They are a very good team and they are well coached.” He was also full of praise for his Irish teammates. “We didn’t leave a stone unturned. We ticked every box. We trained the house down and I thought after a slow enough start we played pretty well tonight. A few decisions and a bounce of the ball away from scoring a try. Fair play to the All Blacks.”
Sexton may have been defeated in his final game for Ireland, but his son’s heartfelt words of support will no doubt bring some comfort in a difficult time.
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