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Johnny Sexton says it would be \u201cbrilliant\u201d to cap his illustrious career by captaining Ireland to silverware.<\/p>\nJohnny Sexton says it would be \u201cbrilliant\u201d to cap his illustrious career by captaining Ireland to silverware.<\/p>\n
Sexton has enjoyed a trophy-laden time in the game and is preparing to lead his country for the second successive Guinness Six Nations campaign.<\/p>\n
He has already won the tournament three times, including a Grand Slam in 2018, but admits repeating the feat as skipper would be extra special.<\/p>\n
While he currently has no plans for retirement, the 35-year-old has been dogged by niggling injuries in recent months and accepts he cannot afford to look too far ahead.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t like to throw my goals out for everyone to hear them but being captain for this campaign, I have big aspirations that the team does really well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo try and win the championship as captain would be brilliant. It\u2019s always an honor, always a privilege to get asked to do it.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, it\u2019s about taking it a campaign at a time, and I am just properly focused on this one, whether I stay on for another year or for another two, I don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll my focus is on this campaign and trying to win it and trying to do a good job as captain, make sure we\u2019re better as a team off the back of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was so excited to get into camp. It was a great place to be in November (for the Autumn Nations Cup) and now hopefully we can keep it like that but have a couple of extra results go our way.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo win some silverware is where we want to be at the end of this tournament.\u201d<\/p>\n
Former British and Irish Lion Sexton has previously spoken of his ambition to play at the 2023 World Cup in France, by which time he will be 38.<\/p>\n
In addition to successes on the international stage, the 2018 World Rugby Player of the Year has won five PRO14 titles and the Heineken Champions Cup four times with Leinster.<\/p>\n
He is hopeful of being fit for Ireland\u2019s Six Nations opener away to Wales on February 7th, having limped off last weekend during his province\u2019s win over Munster due to a problem deemed \u201cnot major\u201d.<\/p>\n
Damaging away defeats to England and France caused Andy Farrell\u2019s men to finish third in the 2020 Championship.<\/p>\n
Sexton, who has 95 Test caps for Ireland, is determined there will still be plenty to play for when Eddie Jones\u2019 reigning champions visit Dublin on the final weekend.<\/p>\n
\u201cEngland are probably the one team we haven\u2019t thought about at all because they\u2019re our last game,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will be a good barometer when it comes to it about how much we\u2019ve improved.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor us now, it\u2019s about making sure that game against England there is something on the line, because that\u2019s where we were last year, playing against France for a championship and we didn\u2019t turn up on the day and we want to put that right.\u201d<\/p>\n