Johnny sexton challenges ireland to mark cian healy’s 100th cap with six nations win

Johnny Sexton has challenged Ireland to honour Cian Healy’s 100th cap by claiming a fourth Six Nations crown in seven years. Ireland can add another Six Nations crown to their 2014, 2015 and

2018 triumphs at the Stade de France on Saturday — but must pull off an unprecedented bonus-point win in Paris to be certain of holding off title rivals England. Ireland are currently a

point clear of both England, who face rock-bottom Italy in Rome, and France in the Six Nations table, with the top three all still in with a chance of success. Sexton, the team’s captain,

believes Ireland can carve out the openings for four scores in Paris, but conceded that converting them will be a different matter entirely against the resurgent hosts. Healy could become

Ireland’s sixth Test centurion this weekend, with Sexton paying tribute to the combative 33-year-old front-rower. Advertisement “If Cian gets picked it’s an incredible feat; you look at the

guys that have 100 caps, you don’t get there easily,” Sexton said. “Every player in that category is a legend of the game in Ireland, and he’ll add himself to that legacy if he gets that

cap. And he deserves it, he’s so professional.” He said Healy had put in an “unbelievable amount of work” to come back from a “very serious injury”. “I’m good friends with him and I know

that he and his family would be hugely proud of that,” he said. “So it’s another little layer on to our story. If it is his 100th cap we want to honour him in the best way possible, and the

way to do that is by winning the game.” Ireland’s 50-17 win over Italy in Dublin at the weekend has handed Andy Farrell’s side the chance of yet more silverware. And while the visitors may

need to break new ground to lift the title, Sexton believes they have the wherewithal to pull off that first bonus-point win in France. Asked to explain the size of the task, Sexton said: “I

suppose we just have to wait and see, all we can control at the moment is our performance.” Advertisement He added: “So we’ve just had to emphasise to everyone that we need to get the

performance right no matter what. We’re still going to have to play well no matter what, so let’s focus on that aspect. We know if we perform well we’ll create chances, so we’ll have to take

them, we’ll need to be clinical.” Leinster prop Healy’s stellar international career was almost halted by a neck injury, but the ball-carrier has battled past a host of setbacks to stand on

the cusp of that 100-cap milestone. Brian O’Driscoll, Ronan O’Gara, Rory Best, Paul O’Connell and John Hayes are the only Irishmen to reach the 100 mark. But while he could join that

illustrious group this weekend, Healy admitted he has been trying to focus on the fight for silverware. Asked where sealing a Six Nations on the occasion of his 100th cap would rank, Healy

said: “I don’t know, I’m not sure. I don’t tend to do rankings and things like that of achievements.” He added: “The grand slam was a big one, there’s Heineken Cups, there’s lots of big

ones. I just want to continue to add more towards success and not looking for number one achievements. I have loads of number one achievements that were all huge amounts of success with

different groups of players. This time it’s our opportunity to have success with this group. Whenever that day comes you’ll think back on them, but there’s no time to think back now.”

Advertisement He said this weekend’s game presented an opportunity to “win a medal and a trophy” and to “play with the lads”. “Hopefully I get a shot to do it if selected. It will be an

unbelievably tough challenge but something this group is hugely capable of,” he said. “Hopefully I’ll get selected and there’s something much bigger than anything individual to play for. So

I’m just trying to brush it aside at the moment and go towards that bigger thing.”