DAN SHEEHAN’S FRUSTRATION was evident throughout proceedings at Eden Park.
He seemed exasperated in some of his dealings with referee Nic Berry during his team’s 41-20 loss.
There was a possible red card against Luke Jacobson that remained a yellow, there was no yellow card for Quinn Tupaea despite him being penalised for a deliberate knock-on, and there were a few other moments when Sheehan was clearly frustrated.
“It was tricky at the time to see it,” said Sheehan.
“You’re watching the big screen like everyone else. There’s not much I can do. I’m trying to make sure I put the question to the ref at the right times. I felt like I was there in the conversations a good bit. I’m just a player on the pitch.
“I have to try to highlight these issues. There’s not much I can do other than that. I’ll have to look it back, to be honest. I don’t know what more I could have done.”
Yet the feeling of frustration for Sheehan after the game was more about Ireland’s shortcomings in this fourth consecutive loss to New Zealand.
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They improved in the second half, but Ireland’s errors in the opening 40 minutes were damaging.
“It was frustrating because I thought when we were getting our stuff right we were able to be quite productive and get up the pitch,” said Sheehan.
“We scored some good tries, set-piece was good. It was just some things that we didn’t really see coming with uncharacteristic mistakes, discipline errors, which comes off the back of probably being a bit too desperate and trying to make things happen too much, and you just get a bit edgy and over the line, and that’s just lessons we need to take.
“It’s an overriding feeling of being frustrated because we were really pumped-up coming into this game. The opportunity to play in Eden Park was one that I don’t know if we’ll ever get back.
Ardie Savea and Dan Sheehan with referee Nic Berry. Photosport / Craig Butland/INPHO
Photosport / Craig Butland/INPHO / Craig Butland/INPHO
“So it’s frustrating that we didn’t really get it all to come together. I’m proud of the lads, I thought they stuck together really well over the last few weeks.”
Ireland won a Triple Crown in this year’s Six Nations, but Sheehan admitted that they didn’t get the level they had hoped to across the course of this 2025/26 campaign.
“It’s probably not the season that we really wanted,” said the Ireland hooker.
“We saw the improvements at times, but if we want to be serious about going on and really pushing world rugby standards, we need to be better.
“Going into the summer break now for us, obviously rest up, but we need to make sure we’re reflecting properly and get ourselves in the right mindset to attack the next season. We have a bit of improving to do to get there.”
Yet Sheehan insisted that he believes Ireland will get where they want to be.
The 2027 World Cup is now firmly in view, and Sheehan is confident that Ireland will be in a good place for that tournament in Australia.
“Of course I am because the calibre of player we have here is unbelievable,” said Sheehan.
“The amount of experience we have, we just need to get it out of each other. It’s not an easy process. We need to actually dig deep, and people need to dig deep within themselves, and we need to dig deep as a group.
“We’ve just got to look forward to the challenge ahead. Massive year coming up, exciting times. We really need to dig in.”
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'A bit too desperate' - Ireland skipper Sheehan frustrated at Eden Park
DAN SHEEHAN’S FRUSTRATION was evident throughout proceedings at Eden Park.
He seemed exasperated in some of his dealings with referee Nic Berry during his team’s 41-20 loss.
There was a possible red card against Luke Jacobson that remained a yellow, there was no yellow card for Quinn Tupaea despite him being penalised for a deliberate knock-on, and there were a few other moments when Sheehan was clearly frustrated.
“It was tricky at the time to see it,” said Sheehan.
“You’re watching the big screen like everyone else. There’s not much I can do. I’m trying to make sure I put the question to the ref at the right times. I felt like I was there in the conversations a good bit. I’m just a player on the pitch.
“I have to try to highlight these issues. There’s not much I can do other than that. I’ll have to look it back, to be honest. I don’t know what more I could have done.”
Yet the feeling of frustration for Sheehan after the game was more about Ireland’s shortcomings in this fourth consecutive loss to New Zealand.
They improved in the second half, but Ireland’s errors in the opening 40 minutes were damaging.
“It was frustrating because I thought when we were getting our stuff right we were able to be quite productive and get up the pitch,” said Sheehan.
“We scored some good tries, set-piece was good. It was just some things that we didn’t really see coming with uncharacteristic mistakes, discipline errors, which comes off the back of probably being a bit too desperate and trying to make things happen too much, and you just get a bit edgy and over the line, and that’s just lessons we need to take.
“It’s an overriding feeling of being frustrated because we were really pumped-up coming into this game. The opportunity to play in Eden Park was one that I don’t know if we’ll ever get back.
“So it’s frustrating that we didn’t really get it all to come together. I’m proud of the lads, I thought they stuck together really well over the last few weeks.”
Ireland won a Triple Crown in this year’s Six Nations, but Sheehan admitted that they didn’t get the level they had hoped to across the course of this 2025/26 campaign.
“It’s probably not the season that we really wanted,” said the Ireland hooker.
“We saw the improvements at times, but if we want to be serious about going on and really pushing world rugby standards, we need to be better.
“Going into the summer break now for us, obviously rest up, but we need to make sure we’re reflecting properly and get ourselves in the right mindset to attack the next season. We have a bit of improving to do to get there.”
Yet Sheehan insisted that he believes Ireland will get where they want to be.
The 2027 World Cup is now firmly in view, and Sheehan is confident that Ireland will be in a good place for that tournament in Australia.
“Of course I am because the calibre of player we have here is unbelievable,” said Sheehan.
“The amount of experience we have, we just need to get it out of each other. It’s not an easy process. We need to actually dig deep, and people need to dig deep within themselves, and we need to dig deep as a group.
“We’ve just got to look forward to the challenge ahead. Massive year coming up, exciting times. We really need to dig in.”
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Captain Dan Sheehan Eden Park Ireland Nations Championship Skipper woes