Fire still burns for Sexton in 14th Six Nations

Some players would have been content to make 14 appearances in the Six Nations. This weekend, Johnny Sexton will lead Ireland out for his 14th season in the championship.

With 56 Test matches in the Six Nations, only seven players have played more times in the competition.

And as he prepares for appearance number 57 this Saturday against Wales, it's easy to see how he still has that same drive at the age of 37.

"I'm as nervous this week as I was however many years ago, 2010," he says, as he talks about what the tournament means to him.

"That kind of atmosphere, the anticipation, the bus drives into the ground, the rivalries. It's got everything really, doesn't it?

"You don’t always get that with every competition so it’s very special. It’s hard to win, it’s hard to do well in. Every single game is tough, for each reason different and that’s what makes it so special."

In his 13 previous campaigns, he's been able to lift the trophy three times, one of those as part of a Grand Slam in 2018.

The five years since have seen huge changes to the Irish team, with first team regulars like Caelan Doris, Hugo Keenan, James Lowe, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Beirne having never experienced that feeling.

And Sexton says while they aren't thinking beyond the challenge of Wales this Saturday, he says he's eager for this current side to experience winning a title together.

"[Winning the championship] is in the back of the mind I think. Everything's been on this first game. Winning a Triple Crown last year, we did put an onus on that because we hadn’t won too many of them either so that was special.

"So I know we haven’t won the silverware that we want, but a small bit with that [Triple Crown] and obviously going to New Zealand, we get a trophy for that,