Six Nations: 'Ireland on the road to ultimate prize after Grand Slam success'

When you interruption down the stars that aligned for Ireland's 4th Grand Slam success, it could easy beryllium passed disconnected arsenic the extremity of a journey.

It played retired similar a Hollywood ending, but Ireland importune this is lone conscionable the beginning.

"They're a large group, large absorption squad and large clump of players," said Sexton, who broke Ronan O'Gara's scoring record, went disconnected injured and lifted the Six Nations trophy connected an eventful time for the 37-year-old successful Dublin.

"I said successful the dressing country that it's not the end. There's plentifulness much near successful this team."

It's hard to reason with Sexton. While helium volition gully the curtain connected an illustrious vocation aft the World Cup successful the autumn, the players who shone brightest during Ireland's latest Grand Slam-winning run suggest the team's semipermanent aboriginal is successful harmless hands nether the enactment of Farrell, who is nether declaration until 2025.

Caelan Doris, who got the shot rolling with the archetypal effort successful the opening time triumph implicit Wales, has been a colossal fig successful the Irish backmost row.

Hugo Keenan, 2 years older than Doris astatine 26, enjoyed a sensational tourney and the information the Leinster full-back has started 31 of Ireland's past 33 matches shows however highly Andy Farrell and the coaching unit complaint him.

Ever-dependable fastener James Ryan continues to turn successful stature portion successful Mack Hansen and James Lowe they person 2 breathtaking wings with the quality to crook choky Test matches successful an instant.

Then determination is Ross Byrne, whose composed show successful his archetypal Six Nations commencement successful Rome showed that helium has the skills and decision-making to measurement retired of Sexton's shadow.

They person each contributed meaningfully to a run successful which Ireland handled everything that was thrown astatine them, from losing Jamison Gibson-Park to wounded conscionable earlier the opening lucifer successful Cardiff to the immense value of anticipation that came with the tournament's climactic section successful Dublin.

In Cardiff, Ireland simply blew Wales distant wrong the opening 21 minutes. Against France, they exacted revenge for past year's Paris pain, ending Les Bleus' 14-match winning tally to prevail successful a tussle betwixt the world's apical 2 sides.

Without a big of players successful Rome, and stretched astatine times by a vibrant Azzurri attack, Ireland inactive recovered a mode to registry a bonus-point triumph earlier getting implicit the enactment connected a chaotic day astatine Murrayfield erstwhile injuries forced Josh van der Flier into line-out throwing duties and prop Cian Healy filled successful astatine hooker.

And with the Grand Slam connected the enactment successful Dublin, Ireland managed to decorativeness the occupation disconnected contempt a nervy first-half show that ignited English hopes of a large upset.

Ireland's versatility and street-smarts astatine the apical level of Test rugby are to beryllium admired, but Sexton insists determination is overmuch much enactment up arsenic the World Cup successful France dilatory drifts into view.

"We request to support building," warned Sexton.

"There are a batch of guys that are injured, that missed this run and are going to travel backmost and truly enactment unit connected the guys that person been playing.

"That's what we need. Come World Cup clip we request 40, 45 players each astatine the aforesaid level, warring for positions."

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Farrell feels the aforesaid way. The 47-year-old Englishman, whose lad Owen captained England connected Saturday, has successful the past spoken of his fascination with teams who tin get to the apical and enactment there.

It is wide helium sees sizeable country for improvement. Given that Ireland could look France oregon New Zealand successful the World Cup quarter-finals, and South Africa successful the past four, it is possibly not that astonishing that Farrell wants to support this radical connected their toes.

"We are a bully broadside that has obscurity adjacent reached its potential," insisted Farrell.

"I've been saying implicit the past mates of weeks that's what we person been striving to do.

"Like Johnny said, we'll get a fewer radical backmost to compete, bid hard. Everyone is going to get amended successful the summertime erstwhile we get to walk much clip together.

"We expect our side, erstwhile we get to the archetypal crippled successful the World Cup to beryllium a batch amended than what we are present and that's the reality."

'Sexton Ireland's top player'

Sexton celebrates Ireland's Grand Slam occurrence with his lad Luca

It was, of course, Sexton's day, and portion immoderate volition hold for the World Cup earlier making expansive statements astir his spot successful the pantheon of Irish greats, helium was being lauded arsenic the country's top ever subordinate wrong minutes of Saturday's trophy presentation.

"He's been saying each week this is what dreams are made of," said Farrell. "It doesn't travel astir that often.

"And it's unbelievably fitting that successful my sentiment the champion subordinate ever to play for Ireland is capable to motion disconnected connected a Grand Slam, connected St Patrick's Day (weekend), successful beforehand of his ain crowd.

"There are a batch of stars that person aligned implicit the people of the past 8 weeks and travel unneurotic this evening."

Farrell's sentiments were echoed by different Grand Slam victor successful Jamie Heaslip, who praised Sexton's quality to grip the value of the Ireland fig 10 jersey clip and clip again.

"Ten successful Ireland is specified a lightning-rod presumption that causes controversy," Heaslip, who won the 2009 Grand Slam with Ireland, told the BBC Rugby Union Daily podcast.

"There was speech of 'is Johnny Sexton done?' He's had to woody with a batch of injuries on the way. You can't contradict Ireland are a amended broadside with Johnny Sexton successful it.

"You person a subordinate successful Ross Byrne who has yet got his accidental to beryllium heir to the throne."

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