Brian O’Driscoll believes Johnny Sexton’s stock has risen even higher in the wake of Leinster’s heart-breaking Champions Cup defeat to La Rochelle.
The Leinster and Ireland legend says Ireland will not win the World Cup without their captain and talisman later this year.
Sexton was ruled out of Leinster’s charge for the double after he picked up a groin injury in the Grand Slam decider against England in March.
Ross Byrne showed plenty of quality during a restorative Six Nations campaign and steered his province to another European final, but O’Driscoll still believes that Sexton staying fit remains vital for the national team’s title ambitions in France.
‘This is going to be a hard World Cup to win,’ he told Off The Ball on Tuesday.
‘The issue is and you look at how many HIAs there have been now and how you lose key personal like (Tadhg) Furlong and James Ryan (in the La Rochelle game) and Johnny’s not playing and, all of sudden, you’re thinking there’s three key individuals that you need playing in the last five games of the World Cup, if you’re to get to a final. That’s where we need to be to have any shot at all.’
‘He (Johnny) has become more vital to our success. I’d go as far to say that I don’t see Ireland winning the World Cup without Johnny Sexton.’
Meanwhile, Leinster tighthead prop Michael Ala’alatoa will face a disciplinary hearing this afternoon following his red card in the Champions Cup loss to La Rochelle on Saturday. The Samoan frontrower was sent off after his shoulder made contact with the head of replacement prop Georges-Henri Colombe. Any ban will be carried over to next season’s campaign.
Elsewhere, Munster have confirmed that seven players will be leaving the province at the end of the season.
Malakai Fekitoa’s move to Treviso and Ben Healy’s transfer to Edinburgh to pursue his new international career with
Scotland have been well flagged, but the young quintet of Liam O’Connor, Eoin O’Connor, Paddy Kelly, Oli Morris and academy player Conor Phillips will all leave Thomond Park.
