{"id":23892,"date":"2021-11-10T10:21:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-10T15:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23892"},"modified":"2021-11-10T12:25:22","modified_gmt":"2021-11-10T17:25:22","slug":"sexton-looking-to-avenge-world-cup-defeat-by-all-blacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23892","title":{"rendered":"Sexton Looking To Avenge World Cup Defeat By All Blacks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Johnny Sexton earned his 100th cap for Ireland against Japan on November 6th (PA Images)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ireland captain Johnny Sexton is determined to avenge the World Cup agony suffered at the hands of weekend opponents New Zealand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ireland recorded a landmark maiden win over the All Blacks in 2016 in Chicago and backed that up by beating them on home soil for the first time two years later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But hopes of becoming world champions in 2019 were abruptly ended when they were brought \u201cback down to earth\u201d by a crushing 46-14 quarter-final defeat to the Kiwis in Tokyo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sides are set to face off for the first time since on Saturday afternoon at the Aviva and Sexton is eager to improve their record of just two victories from 32 previous meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was a little bit of \u2018monkey off the back\u2019 stuff and getting over the hurdle at last was huge,\u201d he said of the historic 2016 win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was something that we were desperate for. It\u2019s always very special to be the first team to do something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou always want to put your name in the history books and that was our chance to do something that no Irish team had done before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was amazing and then to back it up a few years later \u2013 any team can do a one-off, but we wanted to back it up and show that it wasn\u2019t a fluke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt obviously brought us back down to earth in our last game against them, so we\u2019ve got to respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNothing ever comes easy against them, that\u2019s what happens when you\u2019re (playing) the best in the world, you have to go and work for it, and we\u2019re willing to work. We\u2019re just trying to give it our best shot\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andy Farrell has replaced Joe Schmidt as Ireland head coach since that World Cup campaign, while Sexton has succeeded the retired Rory Best as skipper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Zealand have also switched coach, with Ian Foster stepping into the role vacated by Steve Hansen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asked whether beating the All Blacks as Ireland captain would have additional significance, Sexton replied: \u201cIt would add a little bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think it would still be special if I wasn\u2019t captain, but there\u2019s a little bit of that there, of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs captain, you\u2019re desperate for the team to be successful \u2013 I was always desperate for the team to be successful even when I wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is a privilege, but it\u2019s another ramp up in terms of how much I want the team to go well and win and perform because it is a reflection of your leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would mean a lot but, like I said, it meant a lot when I wasn\u2019t as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sexton won his 100th cap against Japan last weekend, scoring 16 points, including a second-half try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 36-year-old fly-half is content to move on from the milestone and have his full attention on rugby this weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was a bit draining last week, it was an emotional week from the jersey presentation to all of the messages coming in from different people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou wouldn\u2019t want it any other way but, by the time it came to Saturday morning, I was like, \u2018I\u2019ve got a game to play now\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m glad \u2013 not that it\u2019s over because it was a very special day for me and my family \u2013 but I\u2019m glad it\u2019s back to business.\u201d<\/p>\n

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