Ireland legend and La Rochelle head coach Ronan O’Gara praised Johnny Sexton for matching his all-time points scoring record in the Six Nations.
Sexton matched O’Gara’s figure of 557 points in Ireland’s 22-7 at Murrayfield last weekend.
The clash, at times, was a nervous one as Ireland were forced to pack down with prop Cian Healy in the front row and have Josh van der Flier throwing into the lineout after losing both hookers to injury.
Levelled on all-time points
Nevertheless, the side led by the inspirational Sexton managed to pull through and power home in the latter stages of the game, with the fly-half levelling his predecessor’s magic number.
☘️ Johnny Sexton moved level with fellow Ireland great Ronan O'Gara at the weekend and will likely sit atop on Saturday night.
An outstanding achievement. 👏 pic.twitter.com/mdOLYlDMDE
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) March 13, 2023
O’Gara believes Sexton is “fully deserving” of the record that he will most likely go on and claim this weekend.
“I suppose watching it as a viewer, it reinforces the great times that you had in an Ireland jersey,” O’Gara told the Off The Ball podcast.
“557 points in the Six Nations is quite incredible. Johnny will go on to break that this weekend and he is fully deserving of that.”
Sexton’s rise in the Ireland set-up came at the end of O’Gara’s career after the duo had fought locally for Leinster and Munster, respectively.
Continuing a legacy
Ultimately O’Gara would pass on the baton to Sexton, who certainly ran with it, continuing the legacy of outstanding Irish fly-halves.
“I’m 46, and I am grateful, genuinely, to see someone who started his international career at 24 I think, and then getting better every year.
“Records are there to be broken. I gave it everything when I was playing and I think it’s very special to have two Irish people there.”
Sexton and his men face a wounded England side this weekend, who come off a 53-10 loss to France at Twickenham last weekend.
Ireland needs only one more victory to claim the elusive Grand Slam and continue laying bricks ahead of the Rugby World Cup in France later this year.
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