'He has changed rugby': Johnny Sexton poised for Grand Slam Six Nations swansong

Johnny Sexton could go out on a high note in his 60th and final Six Nations match if Ireland beat England on Saturday, captaining the team to the Grand Slam in his hometown and potentially becoming the tournament's all-time record points scorer.

Players and coaches have been paying tribute to the 37-year-old fly-half during the week and here are the pick of them:

Mover and shaker

"He has changed rugby, changed Irish rugby, obviously for the better. He teaches people what it is like to be a professional, what it is like to be a proper Irishman." - Ireland flanker Peter O'Mahony, who made his Test debut in 2012, three years after Sexton.Standard bearer

"Johnny has his own standards and all of us strive to get to those standards and we get absolutely torn into when we don't, but we try.

"Johnny's standard is so high and it has been for so long that it just drives something special in him.

"He deserves all the accolades he gets because he's a fierce competitor, an unbelievable professional." -- Ireland and Leinster prop Cian Healy, who has won the European Cup with Sexton four times and three Six Nations titles, including the 2018 Grand Slam.

Lighter side

"The Johnny you see after a game is the most enjoyable Johnny to be around, it's a different person, it's class.

"If anything is going to make me play better it's to get to meet that Johnny for a while." - Healy.

Captain Fantastic

"He understands the role and he has got the balance right between the competitive edge and controlling the match. His manner of portraying it to the rest of the group is top drawer. To my mind he is still getting better and better." -- Ireland head coach Andy Farrell, who appointed him skipper when he took over after the 2019 World Cup.

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