Following Ireland's comprehensive win over England at the weekend the performance of Johnny Sexton had Brian O'Driscoll eating his words.

The former Ireland skipper dropped in for Monday Night Rugby on Off The Ball and Sexton impressed his former teammate with a few subtle changes to his game at Lansdowne Road on Saturday.

Ahh I love it! 😂 @BrianODriscoll @offtheball https://t.co/qQkIdunxjV

— Steven Connolly Impressions (@StevenPConnolly) March 22, 2021

Sexton had been adamant that Ireland were making progress under the new coaching setup despite appearances and O'Driscoll figured it was a ruse by the skipper to protect his colleagues.

"There was so much good stuff," O'Driscoll admitted, "It just feels as though Johnny has talked about over the course of the last few weeks. 'It's coming, it's coming, we're going to click, we're going to click' and none of us believed it.

"We had not seen proof to reinforce the thought process that this might actually be coming. Then finally you get one of those performances and you go 'oh ok, maybe it is there.'

"The penny has dropped now, you weren't just trying to support your coaching ticket. Telling they were doing a great job because you are the captain and that is your role.

"You did believe that and credit to them that they did believe and then they were able to back it up."

Sexton wider in Ireland attack

While the win was impressive, it was the tactical nuance that caught the eye of both O'Driscoll and Keith Wood.

"We wanted width and we got width and that made a huge difference," Wood said.

O'Driscoll went further on how Ireland moved Sexton around to create that width.

"Do you know what it does, it brings your best passer in and puts him in at second distributor [creating more width]" said the former Leinster centre.

"We used to do it a bit back ten years ago, be it with ROG or Johnny. I would sometimes go in at first receiver and get the ball out to them.

"Then they had the option to either use their 'wiper' kick. A long searching kick over the winger's head or to play that wide pass out to your fifteen or your winger working around the corner.

"So there is a lot of merit in that. It was probably the most I have seen Keith Earls come in at first receiver.  Sometimes Johnny needs to be told 'get out there.'

"He likes dictating play but if he is not in the perfect position and you have to work hard to get outside him. You might be null and void. It's much better getting in at first receiver and pushing him out.

"They are learning a lot more at Leinster with Stuart Lancaster as well. If you watch how often they will come in. Rather than run to the end of a backline, Larmour or one of those guys will plug themselves in and push the guys that are there out further.

"It is an easier thing to do to have a relative involvement in the move."

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