Jonathan Sexton - Leinster

Leinster

Sexton was part of Leinster's Celtic League winning side in 2007–08. On 2 May 2009, he established himself in the Leinster first team replacing the injured Argentine fly-half Felipe Contepomi as an early substitute in the Heineken Cup semi-final to help Leinster beat rivals Munster a convincing 25–6. He then started in Leinster's home match against the Scarlets in the Celtic League, scoring 15 points (including a try) in a man of the match performance.

Contepomi's cruciate ligament injury ruled him out for the rest of Leinster's campaign, he signed for French giants the following season. Sexton started the 2009 Heineken Cup Final against Leicester Tigers, and kicked a spectacular drop goal from the halfway line and also kicked the winning penalty (a total of 11 points,2 penalties, 1 drop goal and 1 conversion). Leinster went on to win their first European Cup 16-19 at Murrayfield.

Upon recovering from a hand injury sustained during the Ireland South Africa autumn international fixture in 2009 Sexton helped Leinster to secure a bonus point win over Brive in the Heineken Cup to take command of their pool. The following week in their pool decider Sexton scored a sensational drop goal in the dying minutes against London Irish at Twickenham to even up the score at eleven all. His drop goal secured Leinster a home advantage in the Heineken Cup quarter finals and knocked the Exiles out of the competition. Sexton's ability was highlighted upon his return from injury in the 2010/11 where he helped Leinster recover from a shaky start to the season as a second half substitute in their win over Munster in the Celtic League. Following this victory he helped Leinster to wins over Racing Metro and Saracens in the Heineken Cup. In the second match he received a man of the match award after scoring twenty-five points, including a try, giving his team the top spot in a pool regarded as one of the most competitive in Heineken Cup history. A poll taken by planetrugby.com following these performances suggested that Sexton is currently regarded as the top fly-half in Europe.

During Leinster's 2011 Heineken Cup final against the Northampton Saints, Sexton scored 28 points including 2 tries in a historic and greatest comeback in a European Cup rugby final. They beat Northampton 33-22 at the Millennium Stadium after falling 22-6 down at halftime, earning Sexton a man of the match award and his second Heineken Cup medal. His 28 points in that match makes him the second-highest scorer in one game in Heineken Cup history. Irish Independent writer and Listowel publican Billy Keane, who is the son of renowned writer John B. Keane and Jonathan's godfather, stated Sexton's career-defining performance was dedicated to his late grandfather, John Sexton — the hugely popular Listowel businessman who died a few months earlier.

However, Sexton and Leinster could not snatch the first Heineken Cup and Celtic League double that season, with the club losing to Munster in the Final.

In May 2012 Irish heavyweights Leinster and Sexton achieved their third Heineken Cup triumph in four seasons against Irish rivals Ulster as they established themselves as true giants of the European game. First-half tries by flanker Sean O'Brien and prop Cian Healy put Leinster on the way towards a record-breaking triumph. Leinster's reign as Heineken Cup holders was never seriously threatened in front of almost 82,000 spectators at Twickenham. Jonathan Sexton kicked three conversions and three penalties for a 15-point haul as Leinster became the first team since Leicester Tigers in 2002 to successfully defend the Heineken Cup. When replacement prop Heinke van der Merwe and Sean Cronin scored near full-time it gave Leinster the biggest ever winning margin in a Heineken Cup final, Leinster 42-14 Ulster.

In January 2013 Sexton informed the IRFU he would not be renewing his contract with Leinster. He will leave the province at the end of the 2012/13 season.