JOE SCHMIDT has heaped praise on Jonathan Sexton following the Ireland No 10’s superb all-round display against Canada.
The Leinster fly-half orchestrated matters beautifully during a dominant first half where Schmidt’s side racked up 29 unanswered points.
A host of raking touch finders, trademarks loop plays and scything runs featured throughout Sexton’s performance.
Having watched Sexton run the show for 55 minutes, Schmidt withdrew his star fly half from the contest with Ian Madigan entering the fray. Bigger Tests lie ahead and the Kiwi coach was taking no risks with his prized asset.
‘I felt he played really well today,’ said Schmidt.
‘I think he played 55 minutes to get man-of-the-match, so he’s probably reasonably happy with that. I think he passed 500 points (during the game) in international rugby, which is a real milestone for him. It’s hugely deserved for the amount of effort he puts in to make sure he’s prepared.’
He’ll reflect on the game and the first wide pass he made which looped into touch. It was the perfect opportunity, it was the right decision but he didn’t quite effect it accurately enough.
‘So, he’ll probably chastise himself for that in amongst about 30 other really positive involvements. That’s the way he’s driven and I think that’s the way he drives the team which is a real bonus as well. ‘
Sexton was named the official man-of-the-match but Iain Henderson was not too far behind.
Following his eye-catching contributions during the World Cup warm-up series, the Ulster lock delivered a typically robust and aggressive performance against the Canucks.
The 23-year-old was never far from the action and powered over for Ireland’s second try to cap off another impressive outing.
‘I think I mentioned during the week. It’s probably how he’s come on in the last few years,’ Schmidt added.
‘He’s actually been a member of our last two Six Nations squads and contributed massively in those squads, but usually coming into the back end of the game. His ability to carry, as you saw today, and get over the advantage line is a big plus for us particularly as players start to tire.
‘But, even when they’re not tired, he’s still a bit of a handful. He did really today. He also gets through a fair bit of defensive work. I don’t know if you tracked him at all around the pitch but his tactical effectiveness was right up there as well. So, I felt his contribution was very solid for us.’
