Johnny Sexton: Fly-half as hungry as ever as 100th Ireland cap approaches

Sexton is expected to make his 100th Ireland appearance in front of a full house at the Aviva Stadium

Johnny Sexton says his desire to compete at the top level has not diminished in any way as he prepares to win his 100th Ireland cap on Saturday against Japan.

The 36-year-old fly-half is expected to reach his century 13 years on from his international debut, in front of a capacity crowd at the Aviva Stadium.

Saturday's game will be Sexton's first international fixture since March.

"The day that [the drive] isn't there I will walk away, 100%," Sexton said.

"I hope it's been evident in my performances for Leinster over the five games [this season] that I'm still hungry.

"I feel I am, I'm still nervous about this week, still hungry and want to put in a big performance so it's all the same so far."

A high-profile omission from Warren Gatland's British and Irish Lions squad, Sexton was left off the Ireland panel for home Tests against Japan and the USA with head coach Andy Farrell giving his captain the summer off to rest.

Sexton watched Ireland's high-scoring win over Japan in the stands alongside son Luca, as Farrell used the window to bring through a new young core of leaders.

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"It was very strange [watching the game]. But having that feeling there, I wasn't content just sitting. I had a wish that I was playing, I understood the reasons why not but I was sat there with Luca getting into the game a little bit and I still felt like I wanted to be out there.

"It felt like it was my team, the team that I was part of and I wanted to be there helping them. The other side of it is by the end of the game you're looking at things and going how much respect you have for the guys."

'People focus too much on Saturday. It's every day'

Sexton's Ireland debut came in 2009 against Fiji, with the then 24-year-old starting against South Africa in front of a full Croke Park the following week.

In the years that followed he was involved in a famous battle for the starting jersey with Munster legend Ronan O'Gara, and Sexton emerged as the preferred choice after the 2011 World Cup.

Now, on the cusp of becoming the seventh Irishman to reach 100 international caps, he remains the clear first choice and most experienced head in a relatively young squad.

"I learned from guys before me like Paul O'Connell, Brian O'Driscoll, Isa Nacewa, it [being a rugby player] was every day," Sexton said.

"Even on the days where they were not training they were in doing video, they were doing the extras, making sure they were recovering well, doing what they had to do in the gym.

"I think people focus too much on Saturday, you've got to do it day in, day out and want to do the extra stuff and the hard stuff when no-one's looking.

Sexton won man of the match against Fiji on his international debut in November 2009

"You've got to go and practice your kicking into the wind, not with the wind. It's those type of things. They don't ask too often, in fact some Leinster lads never ask, but I hope they see it day to day.

"That's what [former Ireland head coach] Joe Schmidt was driving into the leadership group. You have to show them, you can't tell them and do the opposite."

With Joey Carbery and Harry Byrne the other options at 10 for Farrell in this autumn window, Sexton continues to place trust in his own performance without paying heed to external noise.

"There's no point in wondering what happens if this guy starts ripping it up - there's nothing you can do about that. It's about controlling what you can and that's something that I've tried to do," he said.

"It's something that I learned early in my career. When Isa Nacewa got signed by Leinster he was signed as a 10. Michael Cheika was always one to make about how well Isa attacked the line and this and that, he was playing 10 at the time and I started trying to be like him.

"I wasn't doing what I do and that's why I lost form at the start of that year. I was trying to show him that I could play like Isa or Felipe [Contepomi] but I could. I had to play to my strengths and I think that has sort of carried through to me."

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