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Johnny Sexton believes none of his team-mates will care if he surpasses Ronan O\u2019Gara as Ireland\u2019s record points holder during Saturday\u2019s clash with Tonga.<\/p>\n
Captain Sexton is on the cusp of making history for the second successive weekend after becoming his country\u2019s oldest international and leading World Cup points scorer in last weekend\u2019s 82-8 thrashing of Romania.<\/p>\n
The 38-year-old returned from an absence of almost six months to score two tries as part of an impressive 24-point haul in Bordeaux.<\/p>\n
While he will start again in Nantes after Andy Farrell opted to go with a strong XV featuring just four personnel changes, his performance will not be influenced by chasing further personal glory.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s not something that comes into my head too often,\u201d said Sexton, who is nine points behind O\u2019Gara\u2019s tally of 1,083.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously I was unaware how close I was after the game last week until I came into the press conference and so now I\u2019m getting reminded again.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook, it will be a very special moment individually but no one else will really care. I won\u2019t be making decisions off the back of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to win the game, I want to progress further in the competition and that is the only thing going through my head at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ireland take on the team ranked 15th in the world at Stade de la Beaujoire ahead of pivotal Paris appointments against South Africa and Scotland.<\/p>\n
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Head coach Farrell has resisted temptation for serious rotation before the showdown with the Springboks as he wishes to build momentum and not underestimate Tonga.<\/p>\n
Hooker Ronan Kelleher, world player of the year Josh van der Flier, scrum-half Conor Murray and wing Mack Hansen have been restored.<\/p>\n
Farrell admits \u201cyou\u2019re damned if you do and you\u2019re damned if you don\u2019t\u201d in regard to possibly making wholesale changes.<\/p>\n
\u201cA bit of continuity from last week, it\u2019s a different game, a different challenge,\u201d the Englishman said of the Pool B encounter.<\/p>\n
\u201cRespecting the opposition is absolutely at the forefront of our minds, respecting the competition but more so respecting ourselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat side that played last week hadn\u2019t played together before, we get to roll on to this one and you\u2019re damned if you do and you\u2019re damned if you don\u2019t (make changes).<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only thing that I care about is winning this weekend because the points that are on offer is exactly the same as what\u2019s coming down the line.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 48-year-old also dismissed suggestions his selection was influenced by the 2019 World Cup, when Ireland suffered a shock pool-stage loss to hosts Japan after resting key players.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone keeps talking about four years ago but we\u2019re a different team, different circumstances, it\u2019s a different competition,\u201d said Farrell, who was assistant to Joe Schmidt then.<\/p>\n
Everyone keeps talking about four years ago but we’re a different team, different circumstances, it’s a different competition<\/p>\n
\u201cWe move on. It\u2019s never been talked about at all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Veteran fly-half Sexton, who will retire following the tournament, had no interest in potentially being protected with the reigning world champions in mind.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t have any say in selection,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI just rock up to training and do my best. Obviously I want to play, I mean when you only have a certain amount of games left of course you want to play.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s what is right for the team, what is right for different individuals and that was probably all taken into consideration. But no, I didn\u2019t have to do much talking (with Farrell).\u201d<\/p>\n