Sexton etches name in history books and breaks scoring record

ST MARY’S College star Jonathan Sexton exited his last ever Six Nations Championship with a bang, becoming the competition’s all-time leading scorer as Ireland won a historic Grand Slam on Saturday.

While retirement is right around the corner for Sexton, who will hang up his boots following the 2023 World Cup later this year, his name is etched in the history books.

Ireland recorded its fourth ever Grand Slam, and first to be secured in Dublin, with a stellar 29-16 result over neighbours England at the Aviva Stadium.

However, at times it seemed as though an upset may be on the cards for England as they pushed the pace against an anxious Irish team.

But the writing was on the walls when Ireland were 10-9 up and inside England’s half, with Sexton hitting a booming cross field kick in behind England’s Anthony Wilson.

Wilson coughed up possession and gave away a five-metre scrum, which resulted in Robbie Henshaw scoring a vital try.

After providing the crucial Crossfield pass, Sexton guided the conversion between the posts and it was game over.

Standing up when his team needed him most, the 37-year-old put his name in the history books by scoring nine points and pulling clear of Ronan O’Gara at the top of the all-time scoring leaderboard.

Now on 566 points, the fly half had a massive impact not only on the scoreboard on Saturday but in how he dictated the tempo of the game with his standout passing ability.

Now a two-time Grand Slam winner and four-time Six Nations champion, Sexton ended his Six Nations career on a high note and can now turn his attention to the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

The 2018 World Rugby Player of the Year will endeavour to help Andy Farrell’s team in their mission to win the World Cup in France, which starts in September.

Despite participating in all nine Rugby World Cups, Ireland have never progressed past the quarter-final stage.

However, now ranked number one on the World Rugby World Rankings, Ireland are sure to have a target on its back heading into the tournament.

Ireland will kickstart its World Cup campaign against Romania on September 9, before facing Tonga, South Africa and Scotland in their remaining Pool B games.

Jonathan Sexton confirmed in March of last year that he was targeting retirement after the World Cup, after inking a contract extension with the IRFU.