Johnny Sexton Lashes Out Over Constant Concussion Talk In Telling Interview

Johnny Sexton has had enough.

Eddie Jones is the latest is a long-list of people to question Johnny Sexton’s health and well-being in recent times. Constant talk from pundits, players and coaches alike has spiralled out of control and finally the Leinster man has decided to speak up and tell it how it is.

Sexton revealed all in a telling interview with Gerry Thornley in Saturday’s Irish Times and he pulled no punches when addressing the rumours.

“If they’re talking about my game or they’re criticising me, I don’t get involved with that,” he says.

“But it’s different when people come out and say that at the World Cup I was hiding concussion; that I had an injury at Leinster and I was hiding concussion; that I hurt my neck against Wales and I’m hiding concussion; and then that I was concussed again against France.”

“Could you imagine that if every press conference I did I mentioned someone in the media and it’s terrible that he’s got a serious illness, like Alzheimer’s or dementia, and persistently, persistently said it? I’d be in the High Court.

“I can’t do that, but for some reason people are allowed to say that I’m concussed when I’m not. And it’s not even because of me. It’s people close to you, they’re the ones that really care and then they’re worrying, ‘Maybe he actually is hiding something?’ But to suggest that the IRFU and doctors would be willing to do that is just crazy.”

The outhalf went on to say that he has suffered no concussive effects since taking a 12-week break while playing for Racing Metro, a decision which he says was “the best thing I ever did”.