WHILE IRELAND’S THREE in-a-row bid ended in disappointment, Dan Sheehan’s impressive return was one highlight of the 2025 Six Nations.
The Leinster hooker powered back from a six-month layoff with an ACL injury, and finished the championship as Ireland’s leading try-scorer.
His hat-trick ultimately saved Simon Easterby’s side against Italy yesterday, and brought his personal tally to five. Not that that’s any consolation, as France reign supreme.
But Sheehan is feeling back to his best physically and mentally.
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“Yeah, I’m not thinking about my knee at all and obviously it’s going to take a few games, which I’ve got over the last couple of weeks to build back up the fitness and that rugby IQ,” he said.
“But I feel very good with the body and my knee and I just need to get it back in the lungs a little bit, but that will come with time and seeing the game again, it just takes a while when you’re not training for six months, but that’s slowly coming back and I’ve no hesitation about the knee.”
“One thing I learned from being out for a long time is appreciating every game and taking it week by week,” Sheehan added, when asked separately if he had one eye on the Lions Tour this summer.
This was all about Ireland. Regret lingered from last week’s defeat to France at the Aviva Stadium, Les Bleus taking control of the championship and leaving Ireland in need of a miracle.
A series of “harsh meetings” followed during the week, and Easterby’s men did just enough to secure the bonus point win that they needed in Rome. Sheehan credits Italy after a far from satisfactory Irish victory, but remorse remained from Round Four as the title went elsewhere.
“Obviously we weren’t happy with the way we performed last week, especially in that second half, we went ahead and one after another they were under our posts.
“So yeah, of course there’s a bit of disappointment there and harsh meetings were needed during the week to right the wrongs and try to put in a performance this week.
“I don’t think we got the performance but that’s part of the game, I suppose. It’s pretty disappointing that we didn’t get the performance last week but it’s nice to get the five points on the back of last week.”
Sheehan with Peter O'Mahony after the game. Billy Stickland / INPHO
Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO
The 26-year-old Dubliner, who scored his first hat-trick for Ireland at Stadio Olimpico, also paid tribute to retiring trio Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray and Cian Healy, and looked to the future.
“I grew up watching them. I didn’t ever think I’d be in the same shirt as them. The thing that shocked me most was how quickly they welcomed me into the group.
“Three or four years ago I remember Pete, who I knew for a week, telling me to swap his jersey rather than mine to keep my first jersey. Coming from someone who I watched in a Munster jersey for the last 10 years.
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“Those lads have been the backbone of our squad over the last four years. It’s a pretty emotional day to see them go and hopefully we’ll see them around in the future but they’ll be sadly missed.”
“It’s part of the game that lads will move on,” Sheehan added. “We’ve had some big players in the past couple of years move on.
“They will be a loss but I think there’s some good talent coming through that are happy to fill the spot and put their own print on the game hopefully over the next couple of years. That’s just the cycle of sport, and the cycle of rugby is that new talent is coming through and hopefully we’ll be alright.”
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'I'm not thinking about my knee': Sheehan feels back to best despite Six Nations disappointment
WHILE IRELAND’S THREE in-a-row bid ended in disappointment, Dan Sheehan’s impressive return was one highlight of the 2025 Six Nations.
The Leinster hooker powered back from a six-month layoff with an ACL injury, and finished the championship as Ireland’s leading try-scorer.
His hat-trick ultimately saved Simon Easterby’s side against Italy yesterday, and brought his personal tally to five. Not that that’s any consolation, as France reign supreme.
But Sheehan is feeling back to his best physically and mentally.
“Yeah, I’m not thinking about my knee at all and obviously it’s going to take a few games, which I’ve got over the last couple of weeks to build back up the fitness and that rugby IQ,” he said.
“But I feel very good with the body and my knee and I just need to get it back in the lungs a little bit, but that will come with time and seeing the game again, it just takes a while when you’re not training for six months, but that’s slowly coming back and I’ve no hesitation about the knee.”
“One thing I learned from being out for a long time is appreciating every game and taking it week by week,” Sheehan added, when asked separately if he had one eye on the Lions Tour this summer.
This was all about Ireland. Regret lingered from last week’s defeat to France at the Aviva Stadium, Les Bleus taking control of the championship and leaving Ireland in need of a miracle.
A series of “harsh meetings” followed during the week, and Easterby’s men did just enough to secure the bonus point win that they needed in Rome. Sheehan credits Italy after a far from satisfactory Irish victory, but remorse remained from Round Four as the title went elsewhere.
“Obviously we weren’t happy with the way we performed last week, especially in that second half, we went ahead and one after another they were under our posts.
“So yeah, of course there’s a bit of disappointment there and harsh meetings were needed during the week to right the wrongs and try to put in a performance this week.
“I don’t think we got the performance but that’s part of the game, I suppose. It’s pretty disappointing that we didn’t get the performance last week but it’s nice to get the five points on the back of last week.”
The 26-year-old Dubliner, who scored his first hat-trick for Ireland at Stadio Olimpico, also paid tribute to retiring trio Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray and Cian Healy, and looked to the future.
“I grew up watching them. I didn’t ever think I’d be in the same shirt as them. The thing that shocked me most was how quickly they welcomed me into the group.
“Three or four years ago I remember Pete, who I knew for a week, telling me to swap his jersey rather than mine to keep my first jersey. Coming from someone who I watched in a Munster jersey for the last 10 years.
“Those lads have been the backbone of our squad over the last four years. It’s a pretty emotional day to see them go and hopefully we’ll see them around in the future but they’ll be sadly missed.”
“It’s part of the game that lads will move on,” Sheehan added. “We’ve had some big players in the past couple of years move on.
“They will be a loss but I think there’s some good talent coming through that are happy to fill the spot and put their own print on the game hopefully over the next couple of years. That’s just the cycle of sport, and the cycle of rugby is that new talent is coming through and hopefully we’ll be alright.”
- With reporting from Ciarán Kennedy
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