In modern rugby, there are three types of fly-half. The manager, always close to the action and guiding attacks with his precise passing and footwork. The attacker, lively and ready at a moment's notice to step into a gap left open by the opposing defense. And Jonathan Sexton. The Irishman has a unique style that he intends to use once again in the Rugby World Cup group-stage clash between Ireland and South Africa on Saturday, September 23, at 9 pm at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis (northern Paris suburbs).
The captain is both the star of the men in green and their conductor. Number 10 at the back, he orchestrates his team's offensives while giving the impression of being a dilettante on the pitch. While his teammates run, tackle or reposition themselves at full speed, he prefers to play while walking, trotting back to his position at every phase of the game, as if he had more time on the pitch than the others.
Is this enough to exasperate fans, as another specialist in walking on the pitch, footballer Lionel Messi, sometimes did during his years at Paris Saint-Germain? Absolutely not. On September 16, during Ireland's sweeping victory over Tonga (59-16), Sexton easily won the "applause meter" contest at Nantes' Beaujoire stadium, as the players of both sides were announced.
At 38, the opener is the face of a team dreaming of reaching the quarter-finals of a World Cup for the first time in its history. Sexton earned this status through trophies won with the national team (four Six Nations, including the most recent this year) and the Leinster Rugby club (including four Champions Cups, the "big" European Cup).
Almost every ball passes through him, and his precision in front of the posts is reassuring. "He's really the master of this team, in terms of tactical analysis, footwork and leadership," former Les Bleus flanker Imanol Harinordoquy told Le Monde in March. Sexton's status allows him to be forgotten when his team is deprived of the ball, leaving the others to defend for him. Against Tonga and during the victory over Romania on September 9 (82-8), the opener made just six tackles. Not many, but not a handicap for his teammates, who have long been used to doing without him to protect their in-goal line.
Sexton has become an expert manager of his team – but above all, of his fitness and health. Having become the oldest Irish player to take part in a World Cup match, the leader of the Shamrock has suffered numerous injuries and concussions during his career. To limit the risks, he is quickly replaced by his coach as soon as a match appears to be won. He came off at half-time against Tonga, having delivered another performance worthy of his reputation: a try, four conversions and a penalty, scoring 16 of his team's 59 points. Since the start of the World Cup, he has made just six runs, balls in hand, for three tries. Between energy expended and efficiency, it's hard to get a better ratio.
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