Sexton's final game of rugby was one of the finest he has been involved in. Ireland's 28-24 defeat by New Zealand was a pulsating, punishing match with Ireland's final, fruitless 37-phase attack reducing both teams to near walking pace.

"I try and view my career as a collective thing, because I know if I think about the World Cup by itself, I'll go mental," said Sexton.

"I've not watched it back, but I have watched it in my head about a million times. I've thought about it a lot."

There is one particular moment in the New Zealand match that Sexton replays again and again. In the 71st minute, four points adrift, Ireland drove a line-out towards the New Zealand line before replacement hooker Ronan Kelleher broke off the back of the maul and thundered over the line., external

"I had my hands in the air, like we're gonna score. It was an unbelievable piece of play by Jordie Barrett to get himself under a hooker," said Sexton.

"Why was he even there in the first place?

"There are lots of moments in there that you could wish you could take back, but it was an amazing game."

Sexton revealed in his recent autobiography, titled Obsessed, that a confrontation with All Black Rieko Ioane after the final whistle was prompted by the centre taunting him about his impending retirement.

Sexton says he was surprised by the furore that his account of the incident caused.