Irish eyes on World Cup after storming to Six Nations Slam

LONDON - Johnny Sexton waited eight long years to secure his first Six Nations Grand Slam - now he wants glory at next year's World Cup to erase the disappointment of the 2015 tournament.

The 32-year-old fly-half's magnificent stoppage-time drop goal snatched victory for Ireland over France in the opening game of this year's Six Nations on Feb 3.

That instilled belief in the team to help them go on to achieve Ireland's third Slam with a clinical 24-15 win over England on Saturday, which coincided nicely with the St. Patrick's Day celebrations.

Now Sexton is hoping Ireland can lift the World Cup for the first time in Japan in 2019 and banish the disappointment of an injury-hit side's quarterfinal loss to Argentina in 2015.

It would also provide a fairytale ending in what is likely to be head coach Joe Schmidt's final campaign of his highly successful tenure.

"He (Schmidt) is an incredible coach, his record with Irish teams speaks for itself," Sexton said of the New Zealander.

"He was three years with Leinster and got to six finals (including winning back-to-back European Cups).

"Five years with Ireland and we have won three championships and a Grand Slam.

"The World Cup obviously didn't go as planned, but there are lots of reasons why. Hopefully we can have a good crack at the next one."

Sexton said winning the Triple Crown (victory over all the so-called 'home nations' England, Scotland and Wales) and Slam (a clean sweep of all five opponents) was a "big high point" in his career even though it was also a "very strange feeling".