Craig Casey: Legend Sexton is retiring too soon

Set to retire after the tournament here in France, the captain is making the most of his final few games at the controls of Ireland’s World Cup campaign and scrum-half Casey was one of his many admirers within the squad to applaud his achievement at Stade de la Beaujoire on Saturday night.

"I've been saying that he's soon to retire and I'm trying to get him down to Munster as a coach next year,” Casey joked, “It's great for Johnny and his family. I know his son Luca is another competitive little fella, he'll probably want to take over his dad's points record at some stage. I could see that.

“It's unbelievable for him, it's a testament for him, the commitment he shows to the game is second to none… to pass over a legend like Rog is class and to have two lads there in Irish rugby is class.” 

Casey, 24, was making his World Cup debut off the bench, replacing his Munster squad-mate Conor Murray on 56 minutes. In tandem with Sexton’s replacement at 10 Ross Byrne, the playmaking duo kept their side’s tempo high during a four-try closing salvo that brought Ireland’s total to 20 from their opening two matches.

Yet with Jamison Gibson-Park the acknowledged first-choice number nine and Test centurion Murray the recognised back-up, Casey will have to keep working hard to impress Andy Farrell and get more game time at this tournament.

"Yeah, keep cracking at training, keep showing my hand and keep getting better. I'm not happy being third, it's obvious when you are in a squad like this you want to keep playing games.

“In a tournament like this you know you are not going to play every game, you have to come into training bouncing and ready for anything that's going to happen. I'll keep pushing my hand at training, any chance I get on the pitch, keep taking it and keep enjoying it.” 

Casey is happy to keep absorbing the lessons from his more experienced positional rivals for now and to continue applying the pressure when it comes to selection.

"It's great. It's a competitive position and I want to keep pushing on. I'm obviously not happy to be third choice but I think to learn off two guys like that is great and try to soak it all in.

“In the pre-season you get more of a chance to kind of bond. Obviously we know each other a good few years but there's not games every week that you are concentrating on. You are just concentrating on getting yourself better and bouncing off each other and it's been brilliant.

“I can't say enough about the two lads, they are world-class operators and hopefully I can emulate them at some stage and be a world-class operator myself but to learn off them is brilliant. I just want to keep pushing them and get the squad better.” 

Ireland’s attentions now turn to a blockbuster Pool B clash with defending champions South Africa in Paris next Saturday night and Casey underscored just how important the squad’s huge army of travelling supporters will be at Stade de France next weekend.

More than 20,000 were among the 31,673 crowd in Nantes for the Tonga game and the scrum-half told them to make the most of their week in France ahead of the heavyweight main event.

"Keep enjoying it, we're delighted with all the numbers that have travelled out. It's definitely a week to enjoy, get in amongst it and just have craic an enjoy.

“We'll be working hard and won't be distracted by that, just enjoy the week, it's a huge week, it's a huge game for rugby, it's a huge game for Irish rugby so just enjoy it.”