page_title: Jonathan Sexton
section_title: Leinster
hierarchical_section_title: Jonathan Sexton / Leinster
caption_attribution_description: English: Jonathan Sexton during the Heineken Cup Quarter Final 2011
context_page_description: Jonathan Sexton is an Irish rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Leinster Rugby and Ireland, and also captains both teams. He has also previously represented the British and Irish Lions in both 2013 and 2017 and has scored over 700 points in his international career, making him one of the highest points-scorers in rugby union history.
  Sexton was the winner of World Rugby Player of the Year in 2018, having previously been a nominee for the award in 2014. He is only the second Irish player in history to win the award, after inaugural winner, Keith Wood, in 2001.
  Sexton became the 106th player to captain Ireland when he led the team out at their 2019 Rugby World Cup 3rd Pool A Group match at the Kobe Misaki Stadium in Japan on Thursday 3 October 2019. He was officially named captain for the 2020 Six Nations Championship.
context_section_description: Sexton was part of Leinster's Celtic League winning side in 2007–08. On 2 May 2009 he established himself in the Leinster first team, replacing the injured Argentine fly-half Felipe Contepomi as an early substitute in the Heineken Cup semi-final to help Leinster beat rivals Munster a convincing 25–6. He then started in Leinster's home match against the Scarlets in the Celtic League, scoring 15 points (including a try) in a man of the match performance.
  Contepomi's cruciate ligament injury ruled him out for the rest of Leinster's campaign; he signed for French giants Stade Francais the following season. Sexton started the 2009 Heineken Cup Final against Leicester Tigers, and kicked a spectacular drop goal from the halfway line and also kicked the winning penalty (a total of 11 points, 2 penalties, 1 drop goal and 1 conversion). Leinster went on to win their first European Cup 16–19 at Murrayfield.
  Upon recovering from a hand injury sustained during the Ireland South Africa autumn international fixture in 2009, Sexton helped Leinster to secure a bonus point win over Brive in the Heineken Cup to take command of their pool. The following week in their pool decider, Sexton scored a drop goal in the dying minutes against London Irish at Twickenham to even up the score at eleven all. This secured Leinster a home advantage in the Heineken Cup quarter finals and knocked the Exiles out of the competition. Sexton's ability was highlighted on his return from injury in the 2010/11 season, where he helped Leinster recover from a shaky start to the season as a second-half substitute in their win over Munster in the Celtic League. Following this victory, he helped Leinster win over Racing Metro and Saracens in the Heineken Cup. In the second match, he received a man of the match award after scoring 25 points, including a try, giving his team the top spot in a pool regarded as one of the most competitive in Heineken Cup history. A poll taken by planetrugby.com following these performances suggested that Sexton was currently regarded as the top fly-half in Europe.
caption: Sexton in action during the 2011 Heineken Cup Quarter final versus the Leicester Tigers.
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