Mike Catt believes Ireland skipper Johnny Sexton is similar to his former England team-mate Jonny Wilkinson in being a “completely different mental animal”.
Sexton will look to sign off a stellar Six Nations career in style by leading his country to the Grand Slam with a St Patrick’s weekend victory over England in Dublin.
The 37-year-old, who is set to retire following the autumn World Cup in France, can also become the championship’s outright all-time leading points scorer during Saturday’s swansong after drawing level with Ronan O’Gara’s tally of 557 last weekend.
Ireland assistant coach Catt lifted the 2003 World Cup alongside Wilkinson and feels there are plenty of parallels between the two fly-halves named Jonathan. “They’re both obsessive, they’re just completely different mental animals,” Catt said of Sexton and Wilkinson. “They’re so in the moment, they’re so in the game.