Johnny Sexton : Hype or GOAT

Sexton is 37 and will be 38 by the time the World Cup starts. He is still pulling the strings for oiland from 10. 

Solid kicker, good distributor and holds up in the tackle. 

Will he be the man to help Ireland claim the cup or is it all hype when teams peak between world cups. 

I’m not a fan of him, but Ireland gets the w’s when he is on

I don’t think there is much difference between him and Morne Steyn. 

Only that he was the better 10 way back when they played against each other at croke park. That day Sexton managed to land his long range kicks where Morne famous loftus boot could not get the ball over from 50m out at sea level

 Johnny is a very experienced campaigner....similar to Morne', but Johnny distributes better....when he is on Form, he is definitely formidable.

There's a very big difference between the two. Morné had the complete toolset. 

Twice the player? Must you revisit your past mistakes? 

Well I think Morne' is a great Rugby player....and he is still playing for the Bulls....but he is more a Kicking Flyhalf, not saying that he can't run or Distribute, but more a Naas Botha then a Sexton or a Libbok....players that can spot space ahead and put team members into that space with great passing skills.

Sexton is a real battler and, like Saffex says, he’s vital for Ireland’s success. 

However, he can’t go on much longer and Ireland are struggling to find an adequate replacement. 

Well Ireland do have the Talented youngster Jack Crowley.....don't Forget Joey Carbery and Ross Byrne....Both good players.....Together with Sexton they have very good Depth @ Flyhalf.....they will be a Force to reckon with come WC 23.

They do have those players but they are slightly inconsistent at the moment. 

Morné's best attribute is his long bullet pass. It wasn't appreciated because simple folk in SA thought an attacking 10 runs constantly like the Damian of flyhalf play. 

A good Balance between Running, Kicking and Passing Accurately, makes a good Flyhalf....forgot about his Bullet pass, a good skill.

Leinster and Ireland play a very similar game. Very good at the inside fade and passing short or waiting for the space to be created. Sexton has had years playing that system and has perfected it. We saw what they did against New Zealan, standing in a V shape with sexton having about 6 players to choose from. He always see to find the right player. 

Then you have the flashy Finn Russel who is a coach killer. Sublime one moment and then the next absolutely shite. 

But put Sexton in another team and one can only wonder how good he is. He did spent time at racing before  he revived his career at Leinster. 

But I wonder if Rassie and Niena has figured out how to handle Ireland with Sexton. 

I also think he is a knob, did not like how he behaves on the field , shouting at refs 

Sexton has a very effective wrap around move….Morne is  a superb long passer. Both successful international flyhalves with somewhat different skills. But if there was a kick to win the WC I’d pick Morne.

Sexton is a far more all-rounded and consistent player at the highest level compared to Morne. Rarely does Sexton have a bad game. 

Morne at his best could play a flat game that got his backline running and had a good kicking game. At his worst, he stood too deep and killed the game as a spect acle

How would you rate him today, is he the best 10 for Oiland, the above mentioned, are they better. 

How does he stack up against boks 10s vs All Blacks vs Eng vs France 

I'd say Morné was more consistent than Sexton. There really cannot be any argument about that. Morné had about two to three bad kicking games, and one game where he and 12 had trouble with Cooper, AAC, Folau and Kuridrani in marshaling the space between them. The point I want to emphasize in talking about Morné is the lack of consideration for a distributor and the impact it has on our runners. Smarter runners like Willie were far, far more effective under a coach who implemented a rounded and modern gameplan, and a 10 who could reach all areas of the field and release anyone, especially on the outside edge of the defence. In 2009, not the most hardcore attacking season of that Bulls era, the Bulls had a 1:1 ratio between linebreaks and tries. Very impressive, and Morné was at the core of that success. This is a lesson that never seems to be learned by South Africans. I see with Libbok, the mistakes of the past are being revisited. 

I read that former AB Flyhalf/ Fullback Nick Evans, has been Appointed as new Attack Coach by England....that is definitely Positive for England.

" I see with Libbok, the Mistakes of the past are being revisited " - what mistakes are you referring to Deus?

What I was referencing: The push for a runner over a cerebral distributor. A player like Libbok is physically smothered against a serious defence, and the system easily captures them. It has been the siren song of Bok rugby for nearly as long as I can remember. 

As per Nick Evans, I vaguely remember him. He can't have featured much, but that does not indicate coaching ability. I don't think England need to change how they attack, they need to give that attack a reliable platform. That's why I bet on the Boks so confidently in the WC final: I knew that the English would not have their way like they did against New Zealand. The pundits called the match-up incorrectly like they did the 2015 semi-against New Zealand after their win over France. England hasn't had a fearful pack since the late 00s, and that was an aging group by that point. 

Yes, Nick Evans is Attack Coach on a short term deal. 

He has been Attack Coach for Quins for a number of years now. 

I think that can only have a Positive effect....bit Jealous as we don't have a proper Attack coach, even if it is only a short term deal.

An attack coach would make little difference. To improve out attack we have to change personnel, and the entire way we play. You can't just plug a backs coach in and expect things to change in an instant. The way we structure our units around the field, our patterns and how they are structured across channels, and the philosophy of how we move the ball. A good attack coach, would have to start from the ground up, rebuilding key components of the blueprint. A good attack coach would be suffocated by Erasputin. We don't really know what Stick is capable of. When Coetzee was separated from Erasputin, the attack he showed for the Boks was markedly different. It exposed weak defenders and those with poor decision-making , but it was a step up. 

Deus Ex Lemur, I am not convinced you have played rugby or any sport. 

It is just Mary Contrary stuff from you, whatever someone says - just say the opposite as if it was words of wisdom.

ELFs and Pods, and few other random terms cobbled together.
Anyone who thinks Alister Coetzee was anything other than a bumbling clown is clueless.

I am all for rebuilding the Blueprint.....and understandable it will take time....fair statement saying that we don't know what stick is capable of....maybe Tassie is blocking certain changes and without knowing it, holding us back?....and that is actually why I like Libbok, as he has the ability to operate with opponents right in his face....even if he is smothered, he still gets his Accurate Passes away....is that what you meant?

I think the choice was between Nick Evans and Sam Vesty. 

Have to see who gets the job long-term. 

Shark, you are quite effortlessly taken apart in any rugby discussion. I think for myself, and am quite able to analyse the game myself. I have caught you out using terms out of in-game context. You have also been caught drawing incorrect conclusions that conflicted with video evidence. I think it best that you refrain from engaging me, as it will only lead to more tears, like the other two stooges you band together with and like some of our past encounters. 

Not quite Saffy. You, like Mike, have been caught out in a number of lies. The rest were just sloppy gaffs you couldn't be bothered to verify. It's quite something that you can show your face at all. You want to slap me away do you? Well, if you aren't up to the task, the rest of the angry horde, then that speaks volumes about the positions you take up and your intellectual poise. My suggestion is to omit the emotional content, and just accept plain facts. Life is easier that way, and one doesn't have to mico-manage layers of lies for inconsistencies. 

I read about Sam Vesty....according to Rugby specialists, he is the Berries...he is coaching at Northampton saints I believe? ....the Telegraph says that Vesty could be the right man to reinvent England's attack....in his playing days, he played Flyhalf, Centre and Fullback.....maybe now at last, you guys will have a chance in beating the boks 

Yes, Vesty is our Attack Coach at Saints. We have the best attack in the League…..but the worst defence . 

Oh we will beat you again one day, Mpower  

I am sure you will, especially with R&N at the helm. 

Are we all woke on here shutting someone down because they have a different opinion? 

Deus makes some valid points, but we can have a lively debate and as well disagree with in another. What I don’t like is the insults, oh well, no chance of getting banned on this forum. Not that I’m asking for it. 

What I do hate is that attacks becomes personal and we go off topic. Who cares if we contradict ourselves. I do it all the time, that is because I’ve change my mind. 

Look Morne was a great player, but terrible defender and kicked way too much for my liking. However, I do believe it was down to the coaches at the time. I always wanted to see Morne play a more attacking game given that both Morne and Pienaar played together at school and was coached by Gysie Pienaar. Legend of an attack coach. 

But Snorre moved Pienaar to 10 and Morne was riding the pine, only to come on and win the lions series. 

Morne only got better recently and was showing a different element to what we have seen from him. Even Saffex had him in as a bok squad member. 

So you have Sexton, both Morne and sexton are very similar players. The only difference is that Sexton has been playing under the same coaches for 10 years now.

I also ask whether age is a factor when you are a 10. You may not have the pace, but kicking, passing and defence still holds up. 

I hardly see 10s run these days. 

Only Richi and Marcus smith are like rabbits darting around. Both are very effective at club level.

Libbok was very similar, trying to run everything, so was Willemse. Libbok now have matured and way better at managing the attack. But the only problem is that Rassie and adobo have different philosophies in attack. The 10 is reduced to a kicker again, which I hate. We gone back to pod bashing and kicking.

I don’t think Sexton is Carter or Wilkinson level , but he is very effective at why Ireland is doing so well over the last 7 years

The angry horde don't like what they hear so they get personal. It's occasionally amusing, but it gets a bit repetitive. There's no new or interesting thoughts from them, and we end up arguing about basic facts that they can't stand the thought of. In Mike's case, we have to revisit 2015 and 2012 over again. Always the same topics, over and over and over and over and over again. 

The angry horde are fixated on popularity, gang affiliation, and popular opinion. Very emotional types. It's readily apparent that you find anything and everything you don't like a bore and numerous expletives. You fired the full volley of your verbal arsenal in the first couple of profanities. That was the extent of the intellectual content I was able to extract from you. When challenged on any issue you take the lazy way out and swear. If you think I'm boring, try reading through your own dreary and predictable responses to others! When all is said and done you've been a storm in a teacup. 

Anyone who supports rat-Putin is a doubledouble-Doos.

Definitely off my xmas card list.