Jonathan Sexton says he and his Ireland teammates want to make more history with a home win over world champions New Zealand in a clash of the top two-ranked teams in the world on Saturday.
The 33-year-old flyhalf, who orchestrated Ireland’s historic victory over the All Blacks in Chicago in 2016, believes if they seized their chance they could claim they are the No.1 team in the world.
Sexton, who will be without scrumhalf Conor Murray, with whom he has formed one of the most feared halfback partnerships in Test match rugby, says the best way to do that is to take the attack to their opponents.
Sexton explains: “Over the years we’ve ticked off a little bit of history, so to beat them in Ireland for the first time would be another little bit of history that this group can create and it’s one you don’t want to let pass you by.
“These are the big games that you do all the work for, you do all the practice for.
“You don’t get a chance, you know, they’ve been number one team in the world for nine years, you’ve got a small chance to change that.
“It’s something not to go in on yourself, but to go and attack and go and get rather than hope it happens.”