New Zealand head coach Scott Robertson admits that the debacle between his player, Rieko Ioane, and former Ireland captain Johnny Sexton is a thing of the past.
Sexton’s new book Obsessed: The Autobiography dived into his career with Leinster and Ireland. In one chapter, Sexton details an altercation with New Zealand star Rieko Ioane after Ireland’s dramatic loss in the World Cup quarterfinal last year.
Ireland’s record points scorer revealed that he and Ioane exchanged words during and after the game:
“As I stand there, hands on hips, staring in disbelief at Barnes, Rieko Ioane comes up to me and tells me, ‘Get back ten metres,’” said the All Black. “Huh,” replied Sexton.
Sexton went on to say that Ioane mocked him further: “‘Penalty,’ he says. ‘Back ten.’ And then, after Barnes blows the final whistle, he says, ‘Don’t miss your flight tomorrow. Enjoy your retirement, you crap.’ So much for the All Blacks’ famous ‘no dickheads’ policy. So much for their humility. I walk after Ioane and call him a fake-humble f****r. It doesn’t look great, me having a go at one of them just after we’ve lost. But I can’t be expected to ignore that.”
This extract from the book has created a stir in New Zealand, with many slamming Sexton for his role in the altercation.
Ioane himself posted on social media via Instagram, sharing a photo of Sexton and him with the famous Cranberries song "Zombie" playing. The lyrics “It’s in your head” played in a mocking fashion.
Jonathan Sexton of Ireland and Rieko Ioane of New Zealand (Photo By Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)New Zealand and Ireland will face each other in the November series in Dublin, in a game where tensions are sure to be high due to previous encounters.
Robertson was asked about the Sexton-Ioane saga and said that the New Zealand centre told him the issue was over.
"A bit of history in the channels of time. I spoke to Rieko about it and asked him how I should discuss it, and he said, ‘No, no—done, coach,’" said Robertson to the Irish Independent
"When people write books and bring up moments, it’s going to create chat and talk, and that’s part of the game. It doesn’t matter what sport; you’ve got real rivalries, and there’s still a lot of respect we need to show."
Ireland will play four matches at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin during the 2024 Autumn Internationals series.
The first two matches will be Friday night fixtures against the All Blacks (8 Nov) and the Pumas (15 Nov).
The next two matches will be Saturday afternoon fixtures against the Flying Fijians (23 Nov) and the Wallabies (30 Nov).
Ireland Autumn 2024 Fixtures
Ireland v New Zealand
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Friday 8th November 2024
Kick-off: 8:10 pm
Ireland v Argentina
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Friday, 15th November 2024
Kick-off: 8:10 pm
Ireland v Fiji
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Saturday 23rd November 2024
Kick-off: 3:10 pm
Ireland v Australia
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Saturday 30th November 2024
Kick-off: 3:10 pm
