In the context of an intensely demanding Pool B, this proved to be a near-perfect night for Ireland in Nantes. An attacking bonus point was secured by half-time, the game all but won. The inspirational and insatiable captain, Johnny Sexton, crossed for his third try of the tournament, overtaking Ronan O’Gara to become his country’s leading points scorer.
A try, four conversions and a penalty made it a 16-point return for Sexton, moving his total to 1,090. The Leinster fly-half downplayed the record afterwards, saying another fluent Irish victory was not about individual achievements, at the same time conceding it was a “lovely personal milestone”.
