AT INTERNATIONAL LEVEL, he has conducted a bit of a freight train over the last two seasons but running concurrently to that period of Six Nations success has been Johnny Sexton’s comparatively mediocre tenure in France.
During the opening half of his first season he struggled – a 6-0 defeat away to Oyonnax was rock bottom – but his form improved as the campaign progressed and he eventually steered Racing Metro to an impressive away win in the Top 14 quarter-finals against Toulouse and a narrow defeat to Toulon in the final four.
Unfortunately, his second season was marred by concussion issues that kept him out for three months, and when he finally did he return, Racing were upset by Saracens in the quarter-finals as Sexton looked on injured from the bench.
He spoke honestly on Second Captains Live recently about how he would view his tenure in Paris if he didn’t lift the Top 14 this year.
That prospect is looking increasingly remote at the moment, with the Parisians only drawing 18-18 away to La Rochelle today, in a game that Sexton was on the bench for. That leaves Racing Metro one spot outside the playoff places with one round of the Top 14 to go.
They host Castres next weekend, who secured their survival today, so they might not have a whole lot to play for when they travel to Paris. But if Racing don’t win, or can only match the result of Bordeaux and Oyonnax, who travel to Toulouse and Toulon respectively, they will have to be content with merely a Champions Cup playoff place.
Granted, Racing are likely to sneak into the playoff quarter-finals, but the fact that they are limping into the most important stage of the season (one win in six league games) doesn’t say a lot for where the team is almost two full seasons after Sexton’s arrival.
