Jonathan Sexton has got an early taste of the idiosyncrasies of Racing Metro president Jacky Lorenzetti with the Paris club moving their first home match of the season 500km to the seaside – because most of their supporters will be on holiday.

Sexton’s new club had requested they be drawn away from home for the first round of the French Top 14, which starts in the middle of next month, because they feared they would not get a crowd as most Parisians are on vacation at that time.

Racing Metro officials were angry when they were drawn at home to Brive in the opening round and have reacted by moving the match away to seaside resort La Rochelle.

Sexton could now make his debut for Racing at Stade Marcel Deflandre in La Rochelle, on the Atlantic coast, on August 17th.