There was a time when Johnny Sexton’s schoolboy half-back partner in Japan was Vinny Hammond. I didn’t think we’d last much further after three or four caps, to be honest,” Sexton said. He’s, on his day, world class — all the time he’s world class — and I love playing with him. Hammond and Sexton first shared a trip to Fukuoka with St Mary’s in 2002 when they were introduced to New Zealand rugby at the Sanix World Rugby Invitational Youth Tournament. He’s come in, he’s been at the club for six years as an assistant and stepped up.

Source: Irish Examiner October 15, 2019 04:52 UTC