Irish fly-half Johnny Sexton, summoned to a disciplinary board on Thursday for “misconduct” in the Champions Cup final, could miss Ireland’s warm-up matches ahead of the 2023 World Cup (September 8 – October 28) , the last competition of his career.
On May 20, the emblematic opener of Leinster and the XV of Clover, package due to injury, was present at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin to attend the final of the “Champions Cup” between his teammates and La Rochelle. According to the EPCR, which organizes the competition, Sexton (37 years old, 113 sel.) would have had an inadequate “behaviour” “towards the match officials after the end of the meeting”. The Irishman would have verbally attacked the referee of the meeting, the South African Jaco Peyper, according to several media.
After investigation, the EPCR Disciplinary Officer forwarded “complaints”, so that an independent disciplinary panel could “determine whether or not acts of misconduct were committed by Mr Sexton (through his behavior ) and by Leinster (which would not have exercised reasonable control over Mr. Sexton)”, explained the organizing body in a press release at the end of June. Johnny Sexton was therefore referred to an independent disciplinary council, which will audition him by videoconference on Thursday.
As an example, the manager of Pau Sébastien Piqueronies had been suspended for ten weeks following a gesture of humor towards the referee of the Challenge Cup match between the Section and the Cheetahs last December. But Sexton not being part of the coaching Leinster and not appearing in the team aligned in the final, his case is special. Operated on adductors in the spring, the N.10 had to withdraw for the end of the season. On May 30, however, he appeared in the list of 42 players selected to prepare for the World Cup in France by the coach of the XV of Clover, the Englishman Andy Farrell.
Ireland, winners of the Grand Slam in the Six Nations Tournament this spring, have scheduled three preparation test matches in August: the 5th against Italy in Dublin, the 19th against England also at the Aviva Stadium and finally on the 26th at the Jean-Dauger stadium in Bayonne against Samoa. In Pool B, the Irish will face Romania in Bordeaux on September 9, Tonga in Nantes on September 16, South Africa on September 23 at the Stade de France and finally, still in Saint-Denis, in Scotland on October 7.
