For Johnny Sexton, the flight home from Paris will have been a painful one.
The legendary out-half saw his rugby career draw to a close with Saturday's heartbreaking World Cup quarter-final defeat to New Zealand, with Ireland yet again crashing out at the last eight stage of the tournament.
Even though that is what the record books will say, there was something undeniably different about this tournament from an Irish perspective, and Sexton can bow out with his head held high after an immense career which saw him win almost everything the game had to offer.
The fact that he could not add a World Cup medal as the cherry on top after an outstanding 2023 for Ireland will be bittersweet but, judging by footage shared on social media from the team's flight home, it seems as if the atmosphere around him in the camp is upbeat at least.
A video clip shared by RTÉ News on Twitter on Monday showed Sexton's teammate Jack Conan giving the retiring Irishman a brilliant dig over the intercom on Ireland's Aer Lingus flight home.
READ HERE: What's Next For Johnny Sexton After Retiring From Rugby
READ HERE: In Pictures: Ireland Squad Greeted At Airport After Rugby World Cup Return
Jack Conan had special intercom message for Johnny Sexton on flight home
With Ireland flying home from Paris earlier than they may have hoped from the Rugby World Cup, one would understand if the mood was low among the 33-man squad.
Judging by footage shared on Monday, there are some who are at least trying to lift the spirits of their teammates.
In one brilliant clip, Jack Conan encouraged other patrons on the Aer Lingus charter home from Paris to Dublin to come up one by one and congratulate Ireland's departing out-half individually, with the passengers cracked up by the Leinster back-row.
Ireland's players were in good spirits as they boarded the flight home from the Rugby World Cup in Paris. Jack Conan took to the intercom to invite passengers to give retiring captain Johnny Sexton 'a hug and a kiss' before take-off. #RugbyWorldCup #RugbyWorldCup2023 pic.twitter.com/LlZyGdLgMY
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) October 16, 2023
Conan said:
Everyone move up and congratulate him personally. Make it single-file.
Come up and give him a pat on the back, a hug and a kiss - he'd love that. He'll be over the moon. [He'll] take photos, answer questions, anything you want, Johnny is just delighted to meet everyone.
He has all the time today for everyone. Please take your time, come up and say hello to him. He is just so ecstatic about it all.
Bundee Aki is perhaps the Irish player who has seen his stock rise the most over the past month or so, after putting his name in Player of the Tournament territory across the group stages.
He would add to Conan's encouragement by noting that Johnny Sexton should have plenty of time on his hands in the coming months, given his retirement:
And, because he is retired, he has the time on the way.
It's bittersweet, and not how any Irish fan would have hoped to see the team returning from France, but it is some consolation all the same to see the Ireland squad in good spirits as they return home.
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