Ireland put in a brilliant performance during the first half of their Rugby World Cup opener against Romania, quickly scoring five tries and securing a bonus point within the first 35 minutes of the game.
While Irish supporters would have been a bit nervy after the Romanians ran in a try within the first few minutes, it quickly became apparent that Andy Farrell's side possessed far superior quality in comparison to their opponents. They ran in some brilliant tries, including this effort from Bundee Aki.
This is great to see from Bundee Aki. He looks as quick and powerful as we've ever seen him in an Ireland jersey 💪 #IREvROM pic.twitter.com/JB1CLzbM5n
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) September 9, 2023
Of course, one of the more pleasing aspects of that opening half was the performance of Johnny Sexton.
The Ireland captain was playing his first match in six months, and while you expect him to take some time to get into the pace of the game considering the sweltering heat in Bordeaux, it did not take long for him to find his stride.
He capped off a brilliant first 40 minutes by scoring a try of his own just before the interval, although there were some nervy moments in the aftermath of the score.
Johnny Sexton unhappy with actions of Romania player
Johnny Sexton would run in Ireland's fifth try of the afternoon, although there were some concerns that he inured himself in the process.
As the Leinster man touched the ball down under the posts, Romanian centre Jason Tomane attempted to knock it out of his hands. While he did not manage to do so, Sexton was unhappy with the challenge as he looked to have hurt his hand.
That resulted in a deathly stare from the Irishman in the direction of his opponent.
𝐒𝐄𝐗𝐓𝐎𝐍! ☘️
Scores under the posts before half-time!
Bit of a sore hand for his troubles. #IREvROM | #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/dBh997bZHJ— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) September 9, 2023
While there were some concerns about the impact of that challenge during the halftime break, Johnny Sexton would emerge for the second half unscathed.
Ireland will be counting on his fitness during this tournament, with every incident such as this sure to result in a collective holding of breath among Irish supporters.
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