Johnny Sexton reveals why coaching Leinster or Ireland would be ‘pointless’ as great fly-half opens up on the post-retirement ‘battle’

Ireland legend Johnny Sexton has revealed why he decided not to stay in the game following his retirement after the Rugby World Cup.

The great fly-half hung up his boots after Andy Farrell’s men went down 28-24 to the All Blacks in the quarter-finals of the World Cup last year.

Many thought that Sexton would be ideal for a coaching role, and he was linked to a few positions following the conclusion of the global tournament, but he has not taken that step.

Instead, the 39-year-old is currently working for Ardagh Group, a producer of glass and metal packaging, and has taken on the role of ‘Chief of Staff.’

He initially worked part-time for the company from 2021, doing one day a week, but the former playmaker has since taken a permanent position since leaving rugby.

‘Never say never’

Sexton admits he will “never say never” about returning to the sport but that he and his family are very happy in Dublin.

“What I was battling with after my rugby, I was going, ‘what do I do next?’ So I had this opportunity in front of me,” he told The Good, The Bad and The Rugby podcast.

“Could I have stayed in the game? Probably. I had some conversations, nothing ever too concrete. I had approaches saying: ‘Would you be interested to come into it?’

“If you put a gun to my head, I would have loved it, but I’ve got three kids, we live in Dublin, they love their grandparents, they love the schools they’re in.

“I love being in Dublin as well. I’ve lived there all my life, apart from the two years I went to Paris, and I want to be there.

“You can only coach two teams in the world which is either Leinster or Ireland, which you can’t do straight way. You need to go and branch out, learn new ways, learn new methods, learn a new culture.

“I would be very fixed in my ways – the coaches that I had influenced me in those two teams.

“You need to freshen up. If I was going to go back in and work with the players, you need to come back with some new ideas, otherwise it’s just pointless for them.”

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Punditry

Another job which could have suited Sexton’s talents was a role in the media. Erudite and loquacious, and certainly never short of an opinion or two, especially on the field, the former playmaker could have been an excellent pundit.

However, that was never an option for the 39-year-old, who did not want to be running the rule over his former team-mates.

“I made some great friends in the final few years of my career and, if I went into the media, it involves criticising them, and it would be tough for me,” he said.

“I’ve seen guys that I’ve been friends with, and I’ve stayed friends with them because I understand they’ve got a job to do, but it’s tough to go in and give your honest opinion on guys that you’ve slogged away with.

“My initial thing would be to try and protect them at all costs. I think I would turn into a s*** pundit.”

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