Johnny Sexton: Former Ireland captain ‘might have been tempted’ by Leinster stay after World Cup

Numerous Sexton peers were forced out of the game through injury, and previous occupants of the Irish number 10 jersey had their international exits hastened by a changing of the guard in the position. Neither scenario applied to two-time British and Irish Lions tourist Sexton.

“It was the decision I made and I just stuck with it,” added Sexton, whose autobiography Obsessed is published this week.

“It was tough because I was fully fit and the World Cup, from a personal point of view, I played okay, and you can spend your time thinking about that, but I just have to look back and be grateful for the years that I got.

“I’m very lucky to get to the age that I got to. I try to view it like that.”

While Sexton was denied a farewell appearance in Leinster blue through injury sustained in the final game of Ireland’s 2023 Six Nations Grand Slam triumph, and his fourth World Cup ended in a fourth quarter-final exit, he believes that addressing the experiences for his autobiography helped him to deal with the disappointments of his final months as a professional player.

“I would say it was tough, having those tough conversations so soon after,” Sexton said.

“In many ways, it probably helped. Getting to talk about and chat about it makes you feel a bit better.

“When you put it like that, it wasn’t a great last year of my career, but it gave me two of the great periods of my career in terms of winning the Grand Slam and also getting to experience the World Cup. The five or six weeks that we spent there was incredibly special.”