Already a national hero, Johnny Sexton found the perfect way to gild his legend as Ireland’s World Cup campaign kicked into high gear in Nantes.
A raucous crowd of just over 31,000 at the Stade de la Beaujoire was mainly Irish, but a significant local French presence not only drew Tonga into their hearts but also delighted in booing the Irish captain at every opportunity.
No wonder he celebrated so wildly in the 38th minute when he galloped under the posts for Ireland’s fourth try, securing them the bonus point, allowing Andy Farrell to turn his thoughts to South Africa before half-time.
With that score, Sexton also claimed the overall Irish points record from his old rival, Ronan O’Gara, with Sexton now seven clear on 1,090.
He is not just Ireland’s captain, he is the team’s inspiration, the most important player, the standard setter and dream catcher.
As long as the 38-year-old remains fit, Ireland’s ambitions in this tournament can run high.
Farrell’s wisdom in selecting his strongest team for this match, with the Springboks looming for just seven days and their favored starting team rested this weekend, was not all convincing given the injury risks.
But healthy and hearty, she and he look forward to Paris with confidence.
What will please him most is how Ireland once again ironed out the first wrinkles from their performance, as they did in the opener against Romania.
Their attacking plans through the opening quarter were undone by handling errors and mistimed passes that repeatedly hampered promising attacking situations.
But when Tadhg Beirne got past in the 21st minute, the destination of victory, and the nature of it, was inevitable.
The Tongan threat was twofold: their ferocious tackling and their running across a broken field, but neither manifested in anything other than shreds.
Once Ireland’s play clicked, they were too fast and too practiced for the opposition. The Tongan team had extensive experience at club level in both hemispheres, but the limited opportunities on the Test calendar are the biggest barrier to the Pacific Island nations building on rich cultures and natural talent.
They simply couldn’t compete.
The entry they gained into the game was invariably the result of Irish indiscipline, and eight penalties awarded in the first half will irritate Farrell, with a total of 13 for the 80 minutes far too high at Test level.
Tonga were only able to take limited advantage of the pressure on the Irish line before Vaea Fifita came over after a period of pressure that also saw Peter O’Mahony shown a yellow card for killing the ball.
But Tongan carelessness cost much more. They also conceded eight penalties in the first half and the sixth, given away in the 24th minute, led to Ireland’s second try through Caelan Doris.
It was a mindless concession from winger Solomone Kata, who put James Lowe through after his free kick.
Ireland were awarded a penalty from where the ball landed, and from the lineout they rolled their maul as Doris dotted down.
Mack Hansen’s effort for the third was glorious, arriving in the 33rd minute after a quick pass and clever movement spread the play across the pitch. Hansen still had a lot to do after Keenan’s pass, but weaved through traffic to get over.
There followed Sexton’s record-breaking arrow across the line, and in addition to the personal honor and the team dividend, it was also a nice response to the rioters in the stands who tried to provoke him as often as possible.
Sexton has had a difficult relationship with France dating back to the two fateful years he spent with Racing over the past decade.
The French media never became admirers, while the joy he sowed in helping Ireland become dominant against France – most famously with his winning drop-goal at the death in Paris during the 2018 Six Nations – did not endear him made with the rugby set. neither in this country.
He wouldn’t have cared, and he had the luxury of watching the second half from the stands after Farrell wisely replaced him with Ross Byrne.
Farrell also introduced a new front row during the break, with main props Andrew Porter and Tadhg Furlong. But moments later the first scrum of the half brought a Tongan penalty, and with it a reminder that Ireland’s World Cup hopes, however viable they may be, are also built on a narrower foundation than South Africa’s and France.
The decline from vital starters to alternatives is steep in some places.
The best of the Tongan effort came from stylish out-half William Havili, while Charles Piutau showed flashes of class that shone only occasionally in two seasons with Ulster.
They got off to a rousing start before kicking the ball with their pre-game challenge, the Sipi Tau. When it started, the Irish players took three steps forward, much to the delight of their fans.
And as long as the game was competitive, not many steps back were taken.
The match became unstructured by the series of substitutions by both sides, with Farrell also making sure to get crucial players James Ryan and Doris off the field early.
One concern was the departure of Finlay Bealham, with Furlong forced to replace him, and seeing his tight end play almost 80 minutes with what South Africa will muster in Paris must have upset Farrell.
It’s also the kind of adversity he relishes and that Farrell has urged his players to embrace over the past three years.
And since the declarations of health come after two rounds of the tournament, 10 points on the table and an infirmary with no starters makes for very good reading.
Lowe finally got the team’s fifth try in the 59th minute, with Bundee Aki also coming over for his third and fourth of the tournament and a late score for Rob Herring, and the now familiar feel-good vibes began to flow through the crowd. .
This was the perfect weekend trip, in pleasant heat, with no major delays or traffic problems, in front of the thousands of fans in the ground.
The Rugby World Cup trophy stood on a plinth between the mouth of the tunnel and the pitch before kick-off. As the Irish players entered after their warm-up, Andy Farrell and his coaching staff followed suit, with the Irish head coach glancing at the William Webb Ellis trophy.
In six weeks it will be claimed by someone.
Ireland believe they have as much of a say in the destination as any of the game’s heavyweights.
Those ambitions will soon be subjected to the most brutal scrutiny. They will meet that challenge with impressively robust health.