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Why Johnny Sexton should buy All Black Rieko Ioane ‘a couple of pints’
By Finn Morton
Irish rugby scribe Gerry Thornley has jokingly suggested that Johnny Sexton should buy Rieko Ioane some pints after this week’s Test in Dublin. Sexton recently joined Ireland’s camp ahead of the Autumn Nations Series, which gets underway against New Zealand on Friday night.
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With Sexton joining the world’s top-ranked side ahead of the highly anticipated “grudge match” at the Aviva Stadium, it’s no surprise that both men are being talked about again. Last month, the pair were both in the headlines after an extract from Sexton’s autobiography was released.
The former Ireland reflected on an exchange with Ioane after last year’s thrilling Rugby World Cup quarter-final at Stade de France, where the 39-year-old alleged Ioane said, “Don’t miss your flight home tomorrow. Enjoy your retirement, you c**t.’”
New Zealand had won the World Cup eliminator 28-24, which brought an end to Ireland’s dream of taking out the sport’s ultimate prize. Sexton apparently called Ioane “a fake humble f***er” in reply, which the man himself reflected didn’t “look great.”
For the first time since that match in Saint-Denis, which is considered by many to be one of the greatest matches in men’s Rugby World Cup history, Ioane’s All Blacks will take on Ireland. As Thornley explained, the stage is set for another instalment of this exciting rivalry.
“Sure, this is a grudge match now,” Thornley said on SENZ Breakfast.
“Certainly, the publication of Johnny Sexton’s biography (in) reference to what Rieko Ioane said to him at the handshake after the full-time whistle and their exchange and what each said to the other, it’s certainly added a frisson of anticipation.
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“I broke the story that Johnny Sexton has been brought back in as an advisor to the out-halves in the squad, even though he said he would never get into coaching. I broke that story… I really, really hope that he will be on the pinch on Friday night, half an hour or an hour before kick-off.
“I’m sure Rieko Ioane is going to be the pantomime villain to end all pantomime villains.
“I do think afterwards when it’s all over, Johnny should bring him to the bar and buy him a couple of pints for selling at least 10 or 20,000 copies extra of the book.”
After beating Ireland, New Zealand defeated Argentina before falling to South Africa in a tense Rugby World Cup Final. But, the 2024 All Blacks are different – this is a team with a new coach in Scott Robertson, and there have been some key changes to the playing group as well.
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Richie Mo’unga, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick and Dane Coles are among those who are no longer in line to wear the black jersey. Instead, it seems like Damian McKenzie’s time to lead the team as the chief playmaker with Beauden Barrett missing the clash.
Codie Taylor was also scrubbed out of the Irish showdown which will see the All Blacks’ depth at hooker put to the Test. Brodie McAlister has been called into the squad – joining Asafo Aumua and George Bell as options to wear the No. 2 or 16 jerseys.
New Zealand are coming off a “lucky’ 24-22 win over England. McKenzie kicked an unforgettable sideline conversion to give the visitors the lead with less than five minutes left to play, and England couldn’t make the most of some point-scoring opportunities of their own.
Replacement George Ford had a penalty attempt that struck the post, and the flyhalf also missed a drop goal attempt with time up on the clock. The All Blacks emerged victorious as they registered their fourth win on the bounce.
“The All Blacks for me, they’re not a great team at the moment. They’re a little bit lucky to escape with a win at the weekend. I’m glad they did win because I think it sets up this game better than if they’d lost to England at Twickenham,” Thornley went on to explain.
“What it showed me was in the way they conjured tries almost from nothing like (Wallace) Sititi’s offload for (Mark) Tele’a’s first try, Beauden Barrett working that switch with Will Jordan, Tele’a’s finish in the corner at the end.
“But more than anything, if I could extract one moment from that game is when the ball is behind them and they’re running back into their own half and Wallace Sititi picks the ball up leaves an English player for dead and accelerates away and gets that offload away… that just sums up the threat the All Blacks have. They still have an ability to conjure tries out of nothing.
“They’re the team with the most flair, the most X-factor. Will Jordan is an absolute game-breaker… pity Beauden Barrett’s not playing because I love watching Beauden Barrett play, greatness in our midst, you don’t want to miss out on chances to see him play.”
Louis Rees-Zammit joins Jim Hamilton for the latest episode of Walk the Talk to discuss his move to the NFL. Watch now on RugbyPass TV
Sexton's book is a actually a very honest personal and rugby trip from a young boy to Ireland's greatest ever No10 in Ireland's greatest era.
Parts of it are hilarious. New Zealand fans say they don't like him due to what he said (F-all) to Jaco Peyper but the truth is they can't forgive him for wreaking havoc in the test series. Otherwise if really this righteous, how do they explain their silence on the really dubious characters in their own team? A couple of two score wins in NZ but the results flatterred the squashed Kiwis and the defeats were a lot more crushing than that.
The Sunday Times was obviously going to run with the Ioane comments. NZers seem to believe that this was Sexton personally printing this: some of these 'supporters' are really not the sharpest tools in the shed!
What is often forgotten is the abusive gestures Ioane made to the Irish supporters after the Paris match. I doubt the coward will repeat those in Dublin somehow.
After the match win or lose, I know the Irish players will genuinely shake these guys hands. Show them how to behave with integrity after a final whistle.
Honestly these "Humble Heroes" are very loved in Dublin.
NZ supporters don't believe one thing any more than Irish supporters do. Most that disliked Johnny did so far before that series - just go back to pre 2022 articles and you'll see. Things like the off field Euro final debacle and countless times he has taken the low road as a person for many years - he has earnt that dislike. I'm a kiwi fan and I know Reiko, Brodie Retallick, Ethan de Groot and other All Blacks have and did say some dark, filthy stuff to Ireland players on field. I wish they hadn't and I respect them less for it. I also know Andrew Porter, Johnny, Peter O'Mahony, Mac Hansen and others have and did say some dark, filthy stuff to ABs on the field. Your mob are loved in your back yard and plenty of you and yours don't have the guts to admit to yourself or to us that their s*** stinks too. The kiwi mob are loved in their back yard and yes, some of our fans are as disingenuous about our team as you are about yours. Telling them off for not being honest about their team while you're not being honest about yours only serves to make you look foolish.
"but the truth is"
My gosh, have you considered a career as a psychic? You obviously know what people think! That is a wonderful gift and you should not hesitate to exploit it!
Nobody can forget the "abusive gestures" Ioane made because you won't let them. Whenever an article is posted about the Irish team, you are there to remind all and sundry of the "abusive gestures".
Nobody cares, except you, you non-entity.
A better solution would be Ioane on the bench!
Agreed but Proctors gone back to NZ for birth of his child and they're not going to start ALB at 13 after his end of match double-yellow from last week. We're stuck with Reiko this week, whether we like it or not.
Well Ive heard Reiko dropped the signed copy Jonny sent him in the bin.
No point in the dope trying to read it I guess.
I heard RI sent him one back🤣