Andy Farrell understood moments into his first conversation with Johnny Sexton just how intensely the Dubliner was wrapped up in rugby.
Sexton signed a new 18-month IRFU contract this week and his plan is to retire after the World Cup next year at the age of 38.
Farrell hopes to utilise his skipper to the max until then, starting with Saturday's clash with England. It will be Sexton's last Six Nations game at Twickenham.
"It's not something we've talked about, we just care about our preparation for this game," said Farrell. "How we best prepare the team and Johnny is central to that."
The Ireland supremo recalled his first meeting with the Leinster out-half.
Farrell said: "My first conversation that I remember having with him is the 2013 Lions where he met for the first time in a hotel the week before we went to Australia and my first question to him was, 'Do you enjoy talking about rugby?'.
"And he looked at me in a strange way to say, 'Are you kiddin', that's part of my problem'.
"He loves it. He lives and breathes it. That's why he has done so well."
Farrell describes Sexton as a "fantastic" player.
"He cares about his own performance, his own preparation, his team's performance and he's a team player first and foremost because he's driven to be as good as he possibly can be and that's why you get longevity in your walk of life," he said.
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