Johnny Sexton almost u-turned on retirement, he was offered huge contract

RUCK’s 2024 Guinness Six Nations content 

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Sexton faced disappointment as his aspirations of retiring as an Ireland player with a World Cup victory were shattered by a formidable All Blacks display in the quarter-finals back in October, leaving him deflated.

For Ireland captain Sexton, this was not the fairy-tale ending he, his team, and his nation had envisioned. In an interview with the Irish Times, the veteran fly-half, who retired after the 2023 Rugby World Cup, confirmed that coaching is not in his immediate plans.

Sexton expressed, "I would never say never; you never know what life is going to throw at you. Coaching wouldn't be my plan right away. If an offer came in, it wouldn't be right for me to coach with guys I played with in the last number of years."

He added, "I certainly wouldn’t want to jeopardize this year because if they find out you’re coaching them, the relationship changes straight away. I won’t be doing it for the foreseeable future. Rugby is my passion, it’s all I’ve known. I’ve been doing it for 20 years, longer maybe, when I was a kid. But I think it’s important to step away from it to try another walk of life. And then we’ll see what happens."

Sexton revealed new plans, stating, "I’ll go and see if I can do something in the business world. I’ve been doing a bit of work experience there over the last few years, one day a week, so I’ll go into that and see how it goes. It might not be for me. I might get the itch straight away and come out of retirement, play for St Marys!"

In the previous year, the management company owned by Johnny Sexton, the renowned rugby captain of Ireland, saw a significant rise in accumulated profits, surging by nearly £307,000, reaching an impressive total of almost £2.5m.

Despite reports of a tempting one-year deal worth close to £700,000 to continue playing in the Japanese top flight and shelve his retirement plans, Sexton, with a new job already confirmed, is focused on preserving his future career rather than opting for a quick cash grab today.

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In his article for The Telegraph, the 74-year-old has chosen six New Zealanders, three Englishmen, two Welsh players, and one each from France, Scotland, and Ireland in his all-time greatest team.

Fullback: JPR Williams (Wales) - "Not a staggeringly original choice, I’ll admit. But to my mind the only one. If I’m going to be picking a dream XV then I want JPR at the back. No question, guarenteed starter."

Left-wing: Jonah Lomu (New Zealand) - "Illness and injury ultimately slowed him down. But his performances at the 1995 World Cup, just as the game was turning professional, will never be forgotten. The game needed a superstar, and it got one in Lomu. He was brilliant for rugby."

Right-wing: John Kirwan (New Zealand) - "He had an all round game; he could carry the ball through heavy traffic, he could offload, he was like an extra back-rower at times. Plus, he had natural effortless pace. He ended up scoring 35 tries for the All Blacks and was instrumental as they went through their unbeaten spell of games between 1987 and 1990."

Outside-centre: Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland) - "His ability to get back on his feet after tackling to compete for the ball was extraordinary, and ensured he always had an impact on the game, whatever type of game it was. He was such a natural talent."

Inside-centre: Philippe Sella (France) - "Sella and O’Driscoll were powerful men. They could stop a forward in his tracks. I think as a pair they would dominate any midfield and I like the thought of them together."

Fly-half: Dan Carter (New Zealand) - McGeechan wrote that Carter “really was the complete 10. His defence was immaculate, he could break himself, he could bring others in to play, his kicking from hand and from tee was incredibly accurate. He also changed the way the game was played with his kicking from his own 22m and his kicking to compete. The greatest of the modern era in my opinion.’’

Scrum-half: Gareth Edwards (Wales) - "My favourite scrum-half of all time happens to be my favourite player of all time. Gareth Edwards was and always will be the master. The Greatest.’’

Loosehead-prop: Tom Smith (Scotland) - "I just don’t think he gets anywhere near the credit he deserves. Six consecutive Lions Tests in 1997 and 2001, a talismanic figure in Scotland’s 1999 Five Nations win, a major reason Scotland were competitive at the 2003 World Cup."

Hooker: Sean Fitzpatrick (New Zealand) - "He was outstanding, not just as a player but as a captain, and as a man.  His consistency was unbelievable in an international career that spanned 12 years: 92 Test appearances, including a world record 63 consecutive Test matches and 51 as captain. "

Tighthead-prop: Jason Leonard (England) - " He played both sides of the scrum but he was more of a tighthead. Completely unflappable, Jason was never in any trouble. Technically, he was superb and temperamentally he was sound, a huge character on and off the pitch."

Lock: Martin Johnson (England) - "I think he defined an era, both for forward play and for the performances of the teams he represented."

Lock: John Eales (Australia) - "A two-time Rugby World Cup-winner with the Wallabies in 1991 and 1999, captaining his side to victory over France in the second of those finals. A lot of the ‘number fives’ that have followed him play the way they do because of the type of game Eales set."

Blindside-flanker: Richard Hill (England) - "One of the easier selections, if I’m honest. Hill seemed to know almost instinctively where to be and when."

Openside-flanker: Richie McCaw (New Zealand) - Having picked Richard Hill at blindside, the thought of pairing him with Richie McCaw at openside genuinely excites me. Can you imagine those two together? The opposition would not stand a chance. 

Number 8: Zinzan Brooke (New Zealand) - "One of the toughest choices of the lot. Maybe the toughest. His ability to bring others into the game, his ability to stay connected in the game himself, popping up repeatedly through different phases; all exemplary. And he dropped goals of course. A true original."

The brains behind the Six Nations masterplans, these head coaches have all won 'Rugby's Greatest Championship', since the modernised competition began back in 2000. Throughout the history of the competition, there have been only five head coaches to win the competition on more than one occasion.

However, Ireland head coach Andy Farrell is looking to become the sixth, as he orchestrates the men from the Emerald Isle into defending their Six Nations Grand Slam. In total, the Six Nations has been won by 13 different head coaches, and we challenge you to name them all in the next six minutes!

Your time starts... now! Good luck!