ENGLAND COACH EDDIE Jones says Johnny Sexton has a “bat phone to the referee” as he suggested the Ireland out-half receives preferential treatment from match officials.
Jones’ England team have the toughest possible start to their Six Nations campaign, away to reigning Grand Slam champions Ireland on February 2.
Jones has a history of making comments about Sexton. Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO
Sexton, the World Player of the Year, is currently out of action with a knee tendon injury but is expected to be fit for the match in Dublin.
“Sexton is a reasonably big player who has the bat phone to the referee,” said Jones in a reference to the device police used to summon Batman in the American television series based on the comic book hero.
“He is the only one allowed to pick up the red phone to talk to the referee.”
‘Targeting’ an opposition number 10, who is usually the main playmaker, is standard practice.
Ireland fans feel that, consequently, Sexton is often on the receiving end of late tackles while, by contrast, opponents have suggested their legitimate challenges on him result in unfair punishment.
Technically a captain is the only player on the field who, under rugby’s rules, is allowed to initiate a conversation with the referee.
But Jones said Sexton — whose Ireland skipper is Ulster hooker Rory Best — had earned his ‘hotline’ because of the excellence of his play, as now retired former New Zealand World Cup-winning captain Richie McCaw had done before him.
“When he [Sexton] talks, the referee listens. That is because of his status in the game – you earn that, like Richie McCaw did,” Jones explained.
Sexton has been sidelined with a knee injury recently. Source: Oisin Keniry/INPHO
The England boss has something of a history of making pre-match comments about Sexton, even going as far as to claim the Leinster man’s parents should be worried about his long-term health in 2016.
“Sexton is an interesting one, they’ve talked about him having whiplash injury which is not a great thing to talk about,” said Jones in 2016.
“I’m sure his mother and father would be worried about that. Hopefully, the lad’s all right on Saturday to play.”
Jones’ own out-half, Owen Farrell, is now a doubt for the upcoming clash with Ireland after undergoing a procedure on his thumb yesterday.
© – AFP 2019
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