One of the greatest careers in modern rugby history came to a sad conclusion on Saturday night, as Johnny Sexton bowed out with defeat at the Stade de France.
The Ireland stalwart had hoped to close his career out by doing what no Irish man has been able to do in the past and lead his side to the deep end of the Rugby World Cup, but a bitter defeat to New Zealand in Paris put paid to that dream on Saturday.
Having served a pre-tournament suspension for an altercation with referee Jaco Peyper in the aftermath of May's Champions Cup final, the sharpness of Sexton was the key question for Ireland coming into this tournament, with the Leinster man well established as the piece that makes this Irish side click.
Throughout the group stages, Sexton was in typically flying form, scoring three tries en route to breaking the Irish all-time points scoring record, and he was again expected to play a crucial role in Saturday night's quarter-final.
Extraordinarily, at the age of 38, Sexton played all 80 minutes at the Stade de France - a decision from Andy Farrell that has left a few scratching their heads.
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Stephen Jones questions Farrell call to leave Johnny Sexton on pitch for 80 minutes
14 October 2023; Ireland captain Jonathan Sexton, left, and Ireland head coach Andy Farrell after their side's defeat in the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final match between Ireland and New Zealand at the Stade de France in Paris, France. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
As Ireland desperately chased a four-point deficit in the closing stages of the World Cup quarter-final, the impact of fresh legs off the bench could be seen from the energy of Jimmy O'Brien in attack.
Despite this, head coach Andy Farrell chose to leave Jack Crowley on the bench, with Johnny Sexton playing the full 80 minutes in Paris - a call which has rankled a few pundits, including Stephen Jones.
Welsh rugby writer Jones said that he felt keeping veteran Sexton on the field for the entire game cost Ireland dearly, and that he felt Farrell had left a potential gamechanger on the bench in the form of Crowley:
And perhaps there was a reason why it did not happen for Ireland. Johnny Sexton has been a worldie for his country, a ringmaster, an influencer. But in a game of this stature and pace, he did not quite have it in his legs to pick up the pace of that final attack.
It may be sacrilegious but you wonder whether, with all that ball, the youthful legs of Jack Crowley would have injected some pace into them. In that end game the pace was desultory and they could not catch the All Blacks out.
Crowley certainly proved his worth in getting Ireland over the line for their nerve-wracking pool stage win over South Africa, and it was perhaps surprising not to see him used at all in Paris.
For Johnny Sexton and Ireland, the dream of 2023 which began at the outset of the Andy Farrell reign is over, and the coming months will no doubt be spent dissecting the minutiae of what went wrong for them against a resurgent All Blacks team on Saturday night.
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