Farrell: A fitting way for Sexton to break Ireland points record

Johnny Sexton admitted that he missed the moment.

In what was certainly his last competitive act in front of Ireland fans in Dublin, as he traipsed off the pitch after a vain attempt to stop an England consolation try in the Grand Slam match, the competitor within was pestering the doc for a timeline for a return to action.

He has conceded he should have taken a moment to appreciate the cheers and love that came down from the stands as they hailed their hero.

And as he became Ireland's top points scorer with the bonus-point try in last night game, his face broke into a smile before the touchdown and as sure as he sidestepped Charles Piutau's tackle before the line, he evaded his team-mates momentarily to hop, skip and punch the air in celebration.

"I was just happy to score the try," he said in reference to the celebration but on some level it seemed to be a moment between him and the fans, one that he denied himself last March.

Sexton scored 24 points against Romania and in breaking Ireland’s World Cup record, as the oldest man to play for his country, he put himself within nine of his old pal Ronan O’Gara’s all-time tally.

It was fitting that he paused last night, briefly, on 1,083 points alongside the Munster legend.

And it was equally suitable that the points that propelled him to the top of the charts came as they did. Not by a gimme conversion under the posts but by a superbly worked try, his 18th in green.