It's almost a year now since the curtain was brought down on Johnny Sexton's Ireland career in heartbreaking fashion and the former fly-half is in the news once more.
Sexton's final game as a pro player saw New Zealand victorious in an epic World Cup quarter-final in Paris, with the Irish side left licking their wounds.
There was drama after the full-time whistle with captain Sexton involved in an on-field spat with All Blacks centre Rieko Ioane. The pair shook hands before words were exchanged and, ultimately, Jack Conan had to shepherd Sexton away from the New Zealand star.
@rugbyworldcup There has to be a winner and a loser 🤝 #rugby #IREvNZL #RWC2023 ♬ To build a home - 𝙇𝙭𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙯 🫶🏻
Sections of Sexton's upcoming autobiography have been serialised in the Sunday Times and among the first was the Irishman's read of his altercation with Rieko Ioane.
Sexton certainly did not paint the All Black in a flattering light, though he has come in for criticism from some quarters in New Zealand - and now Ioane himself has responded with a brutal put-down.
READ HERE: All Black Great Says 'Pimple' Sexton Had It Coming After O'Mahony's Words To Sam Cane
READ HERE: Five Intriguing Players Ready To Make An Impact On The Emerging Ireland Tour
Rieko Ioane issues pointed response to Johnny Sexton autobiography
In a segment from his upcoming autobiography published in last week's Sunday Times, Johnny Sexton explained his view of what happened on the Stade de France pitch:
I stand there, hands on hips, staring in disbelief at Barnes, Rieko Ioane still comes up to me and tells me, “Get back ten metres.” “Penalty,” he says. “Back ten.”
Then, after Barnes blows the final whistle, he says, “Don’t miss your flight tomorrow. Enjoy your retirement, you c**t.”
So much for the All Blacks’ famous “no dickheads” policy. So much for their humility. I walk after Ioane and call him a fake-humble f***er. It doesn’t look great, me having a go at one of them just after we’ve lost. But I can’t be expected to ignore that.
It was the most explosive revelation from the sections shared thus far, and word of Sexton's "no dickheads" comment have reached New Zealand and Rieko Ioane.
The 27-year-old issued a simple yet brutal response on Instagram overnight.
RIEKO’S DOUBLING DOWN HOW GOOD pic.twitter.com/GbUxZ4Eayt
— Jamie Wall (@JamieWall2) October 3, 2024
Ioane shared a photo of his clash with Sexton, with accompanying emojis of a Joker card and a house with three dots. Given his piercing comment to Sexton immediately after the final whistle last year, one does not need to stretch too far to understand the significance of that.
Similarly, the ironic use of 'Zombie' as the song on Ioane's Instagram story will not be lost on Irish rugby fans, given the lyrical content of the chorus and the significance of the Cranberries hit to the ultimately doomed World Cup campaign.
Rieko Ioane clearly has no intention of building any bridges with Johnny Sexton any time soon. We'd hazard a guess that the feeling is mutual.
