PETER O’MAHONY IS in this Ireland team and has experience of captaining Ireland, but it feels somewhat symbolic that Johnny Sexton instead takes on the role of official leader for Thursday’s clash with Russia.
The 34-year-old out-half will be perhaps the key driver if Ireland are to turn around from their shock defeat against Japan to push on into the World Cup quarter-finals and attempt to make history.
Sexton’s relentless determination, incessant physical effort, tactical intelligence, and demanding personality have always made him a leader, as recognised by his status as one of the vice-captains of this Ireland squad along with O’Mahony.
Sexton was Leinster’s captain last season too, but Thursday will be his first time to captain Ireland from the start of a Test match.
“It’s a massive honour,” said Sexton today in Kobe. “I spoke to Joe this morning, so I only found out myself over the last few hours. I haven’t even had a chance to tell my family or anything, but I’m sure they’re going to be very proud as well.
“It’s something that I’ve thought about since I was a kid, something I’ve made a lot of decisions around trying to get to one day. It has taken a while but it was worth the wait and I’m incredibly proud.
“I want to be captain of a good performance and a good win in a World Cup game, so that’s my main focus – I don’t think anything changes really for me. I have a big responsibility in the team anyway so nothing has changed.”
Having endured the frustration of watching Ireland’s defeat to Japan from the sideline as he dealt with a quad issue, Sexton trained fully today as Ireland faced the Kobe Steelers and feels physically ready for his return to the number 10 shirt.
Last time out against Scotland, he handed over place-kicking duties to scrum-half Conor Murray after sustaining his leg injury, but Sexton is primed to resume his efforts off the tee in Kobe.
“I kicked yesterday a little bit – I wasn’t out there too much – and then I kicked again today in both sessions,” said Sexton. “So I feel good and ready to go now.”
He and his team-mates are preparing themselves for hugely demanding conditions in Kobe Misaki Stadium on Thursday.
The roof of the stadium is closed for all four World Cup games at the venue under World Rugby policy, creating truly sweltering heat and humidity inside.
Scotland and Samoa struggled to hang onto the slippery ball at Kobe Misaki Stadium last night, after England and Tonga had endured the same problem, meaning Ireland have been well warned about the sauna-like conditions.
“We watched the game last night and it looked very slippy,” said Sexton. “We watched the England game as well. Obviously, when you hear it’s an indoor stadium, you think it will have air-con and probably be a little bit cooler, but it’s quite the opposite, we hear.
“It’s something we’re going to have to be mindful of. Even when you play outside here, the ball gets pretty slippy. Against Japan, in the first half, the ball was bone dry but the longer the game went on the sweatier everyone got. The ball was like a bar of soap.
“It’s something we have to be conscious of, playing smartly. We can’t just go out and run everything. But we have a good plan in place and, hopefully, it won’t be too big a factor.”