Former Ireland captain Johnny Sexton has been criticised by New Zealand head coach Ian Foster for his conduct after Saturday's quarter-final in Paris.
Ireland bravely exited the Rugby World Cup after losing 24-28 to the All-Blacks last weekend. The game marked the end of Ireland's campaign and also the conclusion of Johnny Sexton's tenure in an Ireland jersey.
After the final whistle, New Zealand's Rieko Ioane angered Sexton by saying, "Enjoy retirement and don't miss the flight home." Sexton was caught on video visibly angry and went to exchange words with the New Zealand player. The Ireland star was led away by his Ireland and Leinster teammate Jack Conan at the time.
After Rieko Ioane told Sexton to “enjoy retirement and not miss the flight home tomorrow” 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/nGNSSeQUuy
— Bliksem v2.oH™ 🇿🇦🇬🇧 (@TheFarEastFiles) October 17, 2023
Foster, who is preparing his All-Blacks side to face Argentina in this week's semi-final, was asked about Sexton's remarks. Foster aimed a subtle dig at Sexton's conduct towards referees, referencing Sexton's verbal altercation with referee Jaco Peyper following last season's Champions Cup final, for which he was banned for three games.
"It happens in most sporting parks when tensions are high and a lot is at stake," Foster said. "Unfortunately, recently it has also included players saying a few things to referees. Is it right for the game? I don't know. You don't hear a lot of players complaining about it."
New Zealand captain Sam Cane echoed his coach’s thoughts and words. "It's the players' different personalities and emotions running high in those moments,” he added. "There are always people who have different tactics, but it's always just left out there."
New Zealand's game against Argentina will be live at 8pm this coming Friday. The game will be broadcast live on RTÉ2.
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