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'It was mad': Sexton's flashbacks of Lions tour before the chaotic swing in decider
By Ben Smith
Johnny Sexton could only watch on as All Black wing Will Jordan took him on the outside and scorched away for an electric try that threatened to derail Ireland’s hopes of a historic victory.
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The pivotal moment clawed the All Blacks back to within three points at 25-22, which came moments after a long range penalty attempt by Sexton which hit the crossbar.
With minutes remaining under a yellow card, Sexton’s penalty goal attempt would have extended the lead to 28-17 while Ireland were down to 14 men, instead they were forced to regroup under their own goal posts with the All Blacks taking the momentum.
“I thought I had him for pace, yeah,” Sexton joked of trying to cover the breakaway by Jordan.
“You always doubt, but you have to have the mental skills to get back into the present, the moment. It was a big swing, wasn’t it?”
The Ireland captain revealed he had thoughts swirling from the second test from the 2017 Lions tour as he lined up the goal kick, comparing the moment to England flyhalf Owen Farrell’s game-clinching penalty from that night.
“For the ball to come off the crossbar like that. It was mad, I was actually thinking about Owen’s kick against the All Blacks to tie the [Lions] series from a similar spot,” he said.
“I just felt it was an important kick, and it came off the crossbar, I was gutted.
“It was a big swing but it just shows the character of the team, to be able to come back from that.
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“They’re the moments in previous years against New Zealand that would’ve swung the game. They are the fine margins we would have been talking about if we lost.”
At 25-22 the All Blacks were riding a wave of momentum following Jordan’s try, but Ireland were able to pull back control following Sexton’s restart.
A short kickoff by Sexton down the middle of the field was knocked on by David Havili, handing Ireland an attacking midfield scrum 30-metres out.
Ireland ran a blindside play where Bundee Aki burst through a tight gap to take Ireland down inside the five, before an Ardie Savea indiscretion at the ruck was penalised.
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Sexton said the decision to kick to the corner a second time was a credit to lock James Ryan, and the decision paid off with their second maul try of the game.
“We got a penalty straight away, a big call to go for the corner again and the lads backed it up, that was James Ryan,” Sexton said of the moment.
“He was on it tonight, a couple of times we talked about going for the three and he just said ‘no, go for the corner.’
“For him to show that leadership, it was a big step for him.”
