Former Ireland captain Johnny Sexton admits he can't see himself ever watching back Ireland's close Rugby World Cup quarterfinal defeat to New Zealand last year.
Ireland entered the tournament as the form team in the world, having secured another Grand Slam and sitting atop the rugby world rankings. However, they lost 24-28 on the day, which marked Sexton's final game for his country.
Sexton's new book, Obsessed: The Autobiography of Johnny Sexton, is to be released this month and in the book, he claims that Wayne Barnes, the referee at the time, made a late call that he believes changed the outcome of the game.
"I couldn't bring myself to watch the quarter-final back. I don't think I ever will. I don't think I need to. I've mentally replayed every second over and over. It finishes the same way every time," said Sexton in his book
"Ronan Kelleher still ploughs into Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock. Whitelock goes in for the poach, clearly without releasing, but somehow Wayne Barnes awards him the penalty, even though it all happened under his nose—and it's all over."
Jonathan Sexton of Ireland convert the try during the Rugby World Cup France 2023 match between Ireland and Romania at Stade de Bordeaux (Photo by Hans van der Valk/BSR Agency/Getty Images)The Ireland legend also revealed in his book that watching France lose to South Africa in the semi-finals gave him some comfort, despite the emotional rollercoaster he experienced in the previous round.
"When you lose a big game like a World Cup quarter-final, you go through different emotional stages. That Sunday night, I was in the self-pity phase: raging at the injustice of it all, fuming at decisions that had gone against us.
"Watching France lose their quarter-final to South Africa by an even narrower (28-29) margin was weirdly comforting. France were the hosts and justifiably one of the favourites to win the trophy, but they got no breaks that night, with the Springboks getting all the 50-50 calls. It reminded me that no one has a right to win a World Cup. It cheered me up. Well, a little bit!"
Johnny Sexton Obsessed, The Autobiography by Johnny Sexton is published by Penguin, Sandycove, on 10th October at €25/£20. Available to pre-order now.
