IN VIRTUALLY EVERY single one of their actions after coming on in the 50th minute, you could see what it meant to Dan Sheehan and Jack Conan to be back in the Ireland jersey.
Sheehan missed the win over the Springboks in South Africa last summer after rupturing his ACL in the first Test. He was absent for the autumn internationals too and his dynamic energy was missed.
Sheehan made up for lost time within seconds of entering the fray last night, his first carry setting a potent standard that never let up.
His three involvements in his try were glorious. The tip-on pass to Conan, the beautifully accurate long pass out to James Lowe, then the pacy and emphatic finish. The way he slammed the ball down onto the turf said it all after months of slogging away with his rehab.
Sheehan is clearly in superb condition and has added muscle mass to his already large 6ft 3ins frame. He looked huge even on a pitch of big men last night but his explosive pace and footwork don’t seem to have diminished.
Sheehan could probably make a good fist of playing in the back row, midfield, or on the wing if he wasn’t a world-class hooker.
That he is up to speed so quickly upon his return from a serious injury speaks volumes about his mindset and professionalism.
Starting hooker Rónan Kelleher had an excellent outing yesterday too, playing a key role in Ireland winning a whopping 23 lineouts on their throw and mixing it as aggressively as ever in contact. He also won lots of scraps on the ground in a determined showing.
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The brilliant lineout return was a major plus for forward coach Paul O’Connell after some Irish wobbles there in the autumn. Their lineout work was snappy, confident, and technically excellent against England yesterday.
Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
Yet it’s clear that Sheehan can do things other hookers can only dream about doing. His return is a huge boost to Ireland’s hopes of a third Six Nations title and whatever frustration he must have had about watching from the sidelines in July and November has quickly faded.
It’s genuinely exciting to Sheehan go again in Edinburgh next weekend and the fact that Ireland are back to having their two frontline hookers primed for a one-two punch is hugely welcome for interim head coach Simon Easterby.
Conan has missed even more action for Ireland over the last seven months. He wasn’t in South Africa as he missed the tour due to the birth of his daughter, while he was injured for the November Tests.
His delight at being back in the Ireland set-up was evident at their training camp in Portugal ahead of yesterday’s clash with England. Conan was the first man out on the pitch for their Tuesday session last week and his excitement was audible.
He came into yesterday’s clash like a man possessed, winning a lineout within seconds of being sent on and then carrying with dynamism throughout his 30-minute stint. His big linebreak before Sheehan’s score was among the highlights.
As with Sheehan, there was never any doubt about Conan’s class. He was a Lions starter on their last tour and has been outstanding for Ireland many times in recent years, often off the bench. Conan brings top-level might that other players struggle to provide.
Sheehan and Conan clearly put their hands up for starting roles against Scotland and that’s exactly what Simon Easterby and his coaches would have hoped for.
Ryan Baird got a big starting chance at number six against England and he nearly produced a thunderous finish wide on the right in the first half, beating Caden Murley before being hauled down with the tryline in sight. Baird also contributed strongly to the much-improved Irish lineout performance on both sides of the ball.
Jack Conan with Simon Easterby. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO
It remains to be seen if Ireland back Baird again or reward Conan with a start against the Scots. Either way, Ireland will have ferocity to call on from the bench and the same applies to hookers Kelleher and Sheehan.
Ireland will hope that the prognosis for tighthead prop Finlay Bealham is good after he limped off in the second half against the English.
With Tadhg Furlong already rehabbing a calf injury, it could leave them light at tighthead. And yet, Thomas Clarkson had another promising cameo against the English and the uncapped Jack Aungier would love a chance to come into the matchday 23.
Tadhg Beirne was impressive as he returned to the second row alongside the hard-hitting James Ryan, while it remains to be seen if Joe McCarthy is available against Scotland after suffering a head injury at training on Wednesday. A 12-day recovery timeline could put him under pressure, although Simon Easterby said it is “theoretically” possible.
Having McCarthy back in the mix will be a big boost whenever that happens but the quality of Beirne and Ryan means Ireland are still very strong in the second row, while the highly experienced Iain Henderson did a fine job off the bench yesterday.
As ever, Andrew Porter, Josh van der Flier and captain Caelan Doris had big moments for Ireland on what was largely an excellent day for O’Connell’s pack.
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Return of game-changing Sheehan and Conan a huge boost for Ireland
IN VIRTUALLY EVERY single one of their actions after coming on in the 50th minute, you could see what it meant to Dan Sheehan and Jack Conan to be back in the Ireland jersey.
Sheehan missed the win over the Springboks in South Africa last summer after rupturing his ACL in the first Test. He was absent for the autumn internationals too and his dynamic energy was missed.
Sheehan made up for lost time within seconds of entering the fray last night, his first carry setting a potent standard that never let up.
His three involvements in his try were glorious. The tip-on pass to Conan, the beautifully accurate long pass out to James Lowe, then the pacy and emphatic finish. The way he slammed the ball down onto the turf said it all after months of slogging away with his rehab.
Sheehan is clearly in superb condition and has added muscle mass to his already large 6ft 3ins frame. He looked huge even on a pitch of big men last night but his explosive pace and footwork don’t seem to have diminished.
Sheehan could probably make a good fist of playing in the back row, midfield, or on the wing if he wasn’t a world-class hooker.
That he is up to speed so quickly upon his return from a serious injury speaks volumes about his mindset and professionalism.
Starting hooker Rónan Kelleher had an excellent outing yesterday too, playing a key role in Ireland winning a whopping 23 lineouts on their throw and mixing it as aggressively as ever in contact. He also won lots of scraps on the ground in a determined showing.
The brilliant lineout return was a major plus for forward coach Paul O’Connell after some Irish wobbles there in the autumn. Their lineout work was snappy, confident, and technically excellent against England yesterday.
Yet it’s clear that Sheehan can do things other hookers can only dream about doing. His return is a huge boost to Ireland’s hopes of a third Six Nations title and whatever frustration he must have had about watching from the sidelines in July and November has quickly faded.
It’s genuinely exciting to Sheehan go again in Edinburgh next weekend and the fact that Ireland are back to having their two frontline hookers primed for a one-two punch is hugely welcome for interim head coach Simon Easterby.
Conan has missed even more action for Ireland over the last seven months. He wasn’t in South Africa as he missed the tour due to the birth of his daughter, while he was injured for the November Tests.
His delight at being back in the Ireland set-up was evident at their training camp in Portugal ahead of yesterday’s clash with England. Conan was the first man out on the pitch for their Tuesday session last week and his excitement was audible.
He came into yesterday’s clash like a man possessed, winning a lineout within seconds of being sent on and then carrying with dynamism throughout his 30-minute stint. His big linebreak before Sheehan’s score was among the highlights.
As with Sheehan, there was never any doubt about Conan’s class. He was a Lions starter on their last tour and has been outstanding for Ireland many times in recent years, often off the bench. Conan brings top-level might that other players struggle to provide.
Sheehan and Conan clearly put their hands up for starting roles against Scotland and that’s exactly what Simon Easterby and his coaches would have hoped for.
Ryan Baird got a big starting chance at number six against England and he nearly produced a thunderous finish wide on the right in the first half, beating Caden Murley before being hauled down with the tryline in sight. Baird also contributed strongly to the much-improved Irish lineout performance on both sides of the ball.
It remains to be seen if Ireland back Baird again or reward Conan with a start against the Scots. Either way, Ireland will have ferocity to call on from the bench and the same applies to hookers Kelleher and Sheehan.
Ireland will hope that the prognosis for tighthead prop Finlay Bealham is good after he limped off in the second half against the English.
With Tadhg Furlong already rehabbing a calf injury, it could leave them light at tighthead. And yet, Thomas Clarkson had another promising cameo against the English and the uncapped Jack Aungier would love a chance to come into the matchday 23.
Tadhg Beirne was impressive as he returned to the second row alongside the hard-hitting James Ryan, while it remains to be seen if Joe McCarthy is available against Scotland after suffering a head injury at training on Wednesday. A 12-day recovery timeline could put him under pressure, although Simon Easterby said it is “theoretically” possible.
Having McCarthy back in the mix will be a big boost whenever that happens but the quality of Beirne and Ryan means Ireland are still very strong in the second row, while the highly experienced Iain Henderson did a fine job off the bench yesterday.
As ever, Andrew Porter, Josh van der Flier and captain Caelan Doris had big moments for Ireland on what was largely an excellent day for O’Connell’s pack.
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