SOMETIMES A CHANGE of scene is exactly what a player needs to kick start their career.
That has certainly been the case for Eamonn Sheridan, whose progress at Leinster was slowed by injuries and competition in midfield. The Ireland U20 international subsequently made the brave call of joining the Rotherham Titans in the English Championship in 2012. A year later, the risk has paid off as Sheridan finds himself in the starting XV at Premiership side London Irish.
A wide player pool for Joe Schmidt to pick from is definitely something for Irish rugby to strive for, and while Sheridan is not quite pushing for a full international cap just yet, the rapid progress of Niall Morris at Leicester shows why we should be keeping an eye on our players abroad.
Life at London Irish has begun well for Sheridan, who has started all three of their Premiership games at inside centre after putting down a good pre-season. While the Exiles have won just one of those fixtures, losing 29-23 at home to Exeter last weekend, the 24-year-old is feeling positive.
“We’ve a great bunch of lads and the coaches are all really friendly as well, so it’s a really close-knit club. Obviously, we would have liked to win last week but five points out of three games, it’s not the worst start in the world. Everything’s pretty upbeat at the moment and I’m getting games so far.”
The Irish in London
Several of Sheridan’s compatriots have arrived at London Irish in recent seasons in search of regular first team rugby. Last weekend’s loss to Exeter saw Tomás O’Leary and Ian Humphreys in the starting team, while Jamie Hagan is currently recovering from an ankle injury. The Exiles academy includes former Munster U20 players Ian Cross and John Quill, as well as Ulster man Sean O’Connell.
“It does help. Obviously, I knew Jamie from before anyway but the rest of the Irish lads are great. It’s good to hear an Irish accent here and there when you’re away from home. It was good to have a few mates here when I first arrived.”
London Irish are currently constructing a state-of-the-art training facility, with completion planned for the summer of 2014. That environment will be a big boost for Sheridan and co, particularly after his spell with Rotherham last season.
Moving to any Championship club from Leinster means a huge downgrade in facilities, but Sheridan is appreciative of the opportunity he got. More than learning in training, the transfer was about getting games and that goal was achieved.
“I started the first half of the season playing most games on the wing and learned a lot there. The more experience I got on the pitch, the more I was learning. I played about 28 games last year I think, full games. The year before that could have been single figures, you know? Games I was playing between injuries and with all the good players that Leinster had. So I learned a lot from being on the pitch.”
Those injuries at Leinster were cruel for the centre, with a serious knee injury in August 2011 and then a broken leg at the start of the following season. While he admits that such unfortunate incidents were “frustrating”, he doesn’t waste time thinking about the past.
“When I did my knee, that was probably the worst, in the pre-season game against Northampton. I thought I had a good pre-season under my belt and it seemed to be going well. Obviously, I’ve put that behind me at this stage.
“Even if things had gone differently, it might not have worked out as well for me as it did. I’m happy where I am now at my age, I can’t complain. I’m doing what I want to do at a good club.”
The inclusion of Niall Morris in the recent Ireland training camp is just reward for his excellent form at the Leicester Tigers, but it also offers encouragement to players like Sheridan. The 24-year-old still has a way to go if he is to emulate his former teammate, but is glad to see Schmidt’s open-mindedness.
International encouragement
“It’s great to see Niall doing so well. For guys like myself, it’s good to see him getting selected. It means they’re looking at the games over here and the door isn’t closed for you. It kind of gives you a bit of a carrot I suppose to keep playing well. If luck goes your way, you might get selected.”
For now, Sheridan’s focus is on the immediate future. London Irish are away to Bath on Saturday afternoon, and the Exiles are “expecting a bit of a backlash” after the home side’s 31-17 loss to Saracens last weekend.
Key to Irish’s hopes will be their exciting back line, which includes the explosive Marland Yarde and pacy Andrew Fenby as well as the Irish trio. The former has been one of the best players in the Premiership in the opening rounds and Sheridan says he’s a joy to play with.
“He takes a bit of attention off you. The defensive line opposite you are obviously worrying about him on the outside. Marland is always looking to do extra work, so it’s good to have guys like that around.”
While Yarde has been stealing the headlines, Sheridan has been getting through his unflashy hard work in the middle of the field. A player of potential who is getting his career back on track after several unfortunate delays; Sheridan is one to watch.
