D'Arcy's facial hair has trended on Twitter on many occasion with the hashtag #Fearthebeard

However we may be seeing the last of it, if Ireland can keep winning in the Six Nations. There is one man in the Irish camp that just can't stand the sight of it and he's not afraid to say it.

Jonathan Sexton admits that he was just seconds away from being able to get clippers to the beard.

Sexton, who is an ambassador for Aer Lingus, confessed D'Arcy had agreed to ditch the beard if Ireland beat New Zealand.

“It's a horrible looking thing, I'm just so sick of looking at it. So I said to Darce before the New Zealand game if we win we have to get rid of the beard and he said ‘yeah’.

“So that was one of the biggest disappointments of not winning that day, as we couldn't take that horrible thing off.

“Now we have a Grand Slam to play for and for the people of Ireland we want to win it, not just to give them something to celebrate but to get rid of Gordan D'Arcy's beard. Fingers crossed now we go all the way, maybe I should have just said if we beat England in Twickenham but we will go with that,” added the Irish out-half.

On a serious note, Sexton was also commenting about his tenure at Racing Metro.

There were reports at the start of the Six Nations that he was unhappy about the Paris based club’s performance in the Top 14 and that he wanted to come home to Ireland.

According to Sexton these reports were far from the truth and he can't understand where they surfaced from.

“There's a lot of ups and downs in all aspects and that hasn't changed, it won't change but we have been improving a lot lately so hopefully we can continue down that road,” Sexton said.

“There is a perception that I have been really unhappy, I don't know why.” I suppose I wasn't used to winning one week and then losing the next. I have been very lucky that I have been part of a Leinster set-up that was winning more often than not.”

Sexton is now back in Paris where he links up with his team-mates as Racing prepare for action this weekend while the Six Nations takes a back seat for a week.

He has been on form for Ireland in the two games played, contributing more than his fair share to Ireland's wins over Scotland and Wales.

Media in France have branded Ireland as favourites to win the competition outright but Sexton was keen to stress there is a long way to go yet.

“It's not like we are celebrating massively even though we have beaten an outstanding team like Wales at home. Its job done, it's not a case of going out and singing from the rooftops and celebrating like we have won the Championship.

“It's very much a case of we have done the job that was required of us and now it's onto the next step which is England in Twickenham,” said the former Leinster man.