Johnny Sexton's performance against Japan should give Ireland hope of beating New Zealand, according to former Leinster flyhalf Andy Dunne.
In his 100th match for Ireland, Sexton put together a varied, intelligent and nuanced performance, culminating in scoring his 15th test try, and 16 points in total.
While he is no stranger to good performances, the varied approach with which Sexton came into the match at the Aviva would be food for thought for the New Zealand coaches.
Speaking to Aisling O'Reilly after the match, Dunne discussed Sexton's performance for Ireland.
"I think it was Johnny Sexton, in a way, at his understated best," Dunne said. "What he did today was, I suppose, he was a conduit for everyone else to shine. He used other players around him really well.
"Something that I saw today that I really enjoyed about his game was that he varied his play, he varied his attacking kicks. Cross-field kicks, grubber kicks, when play became slow and the ball became a bit stale, he launched a few high balls in the air.
"I think Hugo Keenan won and contested, and between himself and Andrew Conway we regained possession on those high kicks.
"But he also added variation in his passing game. He was a threat in attack."
For Dunne, the important aspect of Sexton's performance against Japan was the unpredictability of it.
"If I was the All Blacks' coaches watching that game today, I wouldn't be sure what to expect from Johnny Sexton next week," Dunne said. "He was very unpredictable.
"With a player of his experience, that is a dangerous combination. To show a level of unpredictability, creativity and variation in a game like he did today, at 100 caps, is something that has to be applauded."
The crowd gave Johnny Sexton his due
While it would have undoubtedly been a special occasion for the Irish captain regardless, Dunne believes that the crowd and his teammates made Sexton's 100th test particularly special.
"I think the crowd really gave him his dues," Dunne said. "The team surrounded him for his try, which was a lovely moment to see.
"Everybody stayed in the stadium to see his after-match interview and he got quite emotional during that. He's had a fantastic career to date, a super performance.
"An understated performance, but a performance really grounded in leadership and how to be a good midfield player and involve people around him. All round, pretty impressive."
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