Israel Dagg’s brutal response after Johnny Sexton exposes ‘fake-humble’ All Blacks and their ‘no d***heads policy’
Israel Dagg has fired back at Johnny Sexton after his criticism of the All Blacks and spat with Rieko Ioane at the Rugby World Cup.
Ex-All Blacks full-back Israel Dagg has hit back at Johnny Sexton after extracts of his autobiography ‘Obsessed’ were published this week.
In the book, ex-Ireland captain Sexton details the final moments of the heart-breaking defeat to the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals.
He also reveals what All Blacks centre Rieko Ioane said to him, sparking an animated response from the former Lions number 10 who had just played his final professional rugby match.
Ioane-Sexton spat
Excerpts of Sexton’s book were published in the Irish Times, where the ex-fly-half slammed the All Blacks‘ “famous ‘no d***heads’ policy” and revealed what Ioane said to him at the final whistle and his response.
“And as 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,’” Sexton wrote
“‘Huh?’
“‘Penalty,’ he says. ‘Back ten.’ And then, after Barnes blows the final whistle, he says, ‘Don’t miss your flight tomorrow. Enjoy your retirement, you c***.’
“So much for the All Blacks’ famous ‘no d***heads’ policy. So much for their humility. I walk after Ioane and call him a fake-humble f****r. 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.”
The quotes from the book have caused a real stir online and have added another layer of intrigue ahead of the All Blacks’ visit to Dublin later this year even with Sexton now retired.
Meanwhile, Dagg has weighed in on the debate and believes that Ioane’s remarks were simply retaliation for the Ireland players’ comments after a famous series victory over the All Blacks back in 2022.
Ireland flanker Peter O’Mahony allegedly called Sam Cane ‘a s**t Richie McCaw’ while there were reportedly a few other sledges flying about at full time.
All Blacks lock Brodie Retallick has since confirmed that he chirped O’Mahony after the World Cup quarter-final, saying: “Oi, Peter! Four more years, you F***wit.”
Israel Dagg weighs in
In Dagg’s opinion, the manner in which the All Blacks reacted to the victory was just part of the game and professional sport.
“Just accept it, mate,” the ex-fullback said on SENZ’s Scotty & Izzy. “Give it a rest.
“Ireland tend to throw a lot of chat out there because they’re winning in between World Cups, but come World Cups – you just don’t. You don’t win it.
“Obviously the comments were pretty harsh and they probably hurt your feelings. But you were retiring.
“People don’t forget when you toured New Zealand and you said some things to our very own All Blacks. They’re going to bottle that up for the big occasions.
“They bottled it up nicely and you guys bottled it over there in the quarter-finals. That’s just the way it goes.”
Dagg also addressed Sexton’s remarks around the All Blacks’ ‘no d***heads’ policy, explaining that the idea is more centred around the team environment and does not extend to on-field sledging or scenarios which occurred that night in Paris.
“There’s a ‘no d***head’ policy in the brotherhood – between each other and in the environment, in amongst their own team-mates,” he explained.
“It’s not about you. It’s not about the Irish team and not being a d***head to them or the English team.
“We carry ourselves in a way that we don’t want to sound arrogant. We want to show humility a little bit. But when you fire something, you’ve got to expect a return, and that’s what’s happened here.
“(Ioane) is standing up for Sammy Cane and Brodie Retallick. Pete O’Mahony threw out some chat. Well, you just lost the quarter-final – time to go home.”
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