‘Stop talking!’- Johnny Sexton pushes his backchat to the limit
Ireland captain Johnny Sexton made his first start of the season on Saturday against the Sharks at the RDS and he was on top form in more ways than one.
On the playing front, he steered his side to an impressive 54-34 win in the United Rugby Championship, even scoring a brilliant solo try late in the match.
Elsewhere, he brought his trademark mouth throughout the match and for that our deepest sympathy is with referee Craig Evans for having to deal with him for 80 minutes.
SA Rugby magazine have compiled a montage of all his backchat during the match on Saturday, which even resulted in stand in Sharks captain James Venter even shouting ‘Stop talking!’ at him while Evans was trying to talk to the captains.
Sexton is one of, if not the mouthiest player in the game currently, but even for his standards he unstoppable on his return, and his turbocharged mouth certainly tested Evans at times. The South African pundits after the match even commented on it, with Nick Mallet saying “as captain he should behave better than that,” and Breyton Paulse saying “he is becoming a bit annoying.”
Take a look at the video:
📽️: @SuperSportTV pic.twitter.com/l1ntJu28b9
— SA Rugby magazine (@SARugbymag) October 10, 2022
Leinster XV: Jimmy O’Brien, Jordan Larmour, Robbie Henshaw, Charlie Ngatai, Rob Russell, Johnny Sexton (capt), Luke McGrath; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Michael Ala’alatoa; Ross Molony, Jason Jenkin; Ryan Baird, Will Connors, Jack Conan.
Replacements: John McKee, Cian Healy, Vakhtang Abdaladze, James Ryan, Rhys Ruddock, Cormac Foley, Ross Byrne, Garry Ringrose
Cell C Sharks XV: Aphelele Fassi; Werner Kok, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Ben Tapuai, Thaakir Abrahams; Boeta Chamberlain, Grant Williams; Ntuthuko Mchunu, Kerron van Vuuren, Thomas du Toit (capt); Justin Basson, Hyron Andrews; James Venter, Dylan Richardson, Sikhumbuzo Notshe.
Replacements: Dan Jooste, Dian Bleuler, Carlu Sadie, Reniel Hugo, Phepsi Buthelezi, Cameron Wright, Nevaldo Fleurs, Marnus Potgieter.
