HE’S A GRAND Slam winner with Ireland, has been part of a winning tour of New Zealand, and is already considered one of the best hookers in the world.
If you had to pick a Lions team tomorrow, he’d be in the number two jersey.
Dan Sheehan has earned all the plaudits coming his way but there’s something that’s been gnawing away at him. The 24-year-old has yet to win a trophy with Leinster.
He featured during the 2020/21 season of the Pro14 but wasn’t involved as the province beat Munster in the decider. So he still hasn’t won a final in the blue jersey. Last season’s Champions Cup defeat to La Rochelle is still fresh in his mind.
“It’s strange because everyone talks about the successes of Leinster and Champions Cup-wise, it was my first year playing last year,” said Sheehan this week ahead of tomorrow’s semi-final showdown with Toulouse at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
“I got capped by Ireland before I played Champions Cup. That experience of La Rochelle last year and then losing to the Bulls in the semi-finals of the URC… I haven’t lifted a trophy in the jersey and that’s something that’s always been at the back of my mind, making sure that I get that opportunity because that’s the end goal. As a kid, you always want to be lifting trophies.”
Sheehan is not the only one looking to taste glory with Leinster. Other world-class players such as Hugo Keenan are also on the trophy hunt.
“A lot of people talk about the four stars we have but it’s a new group and there are a lot of lads who haven’t experienced a Champions Cup win,” said Sheehan.
“So there are a lot of young lads who are really excited about the potential to win on the weekend and then go on and have a proper crack at a trophy but you can’t get ahead of yourself. It’s all about Toulouse this week and how we can come away with the win.”
The threats coming Leinster’s way are many. Even looking at the hooker position, Toulouse have two of the best in the business: Julien Marchand and Peato Mauvaka.
They’re the two frontline France hookers and both up there with Sheehan as the best in the world in their position.
“I think they’re both world-class hookers and you can see they probably split game time pretty evenly for Toulouse and France,” said Sheehan, who looked up to Sean Cronin and Malcolm Marx when he was younger.
“Marchand is unbelievable at contact, breakdown and then Mauvaka, his attacking game, his offload game, he’s quite elusive and strong in his carry.
“So I think it’s a big match-up. We’ve talked about their two hookers quite a bit, a lot of their attack off set-piece goes through them, even unstructured-wise they’re both well capable of throwing passes. They’ve the whole skillset, basically.”
The Leinster man loves going up against players of that quality. He simply adores playing rugby, whatever the level.
“If I wasn’t here, I would be playing for Lansdowne down the road and I would have the same sort of mindset, looking to the next game, because I just enjoy playing rugby.”
Sometimes it looks like Sheehan is running around the place in an All-Ireland League game rather than a Six Nations showdown such is his unflustered manner.
The 6ft 3ins hooker has always had this temperament.
“My parents would probably say that not much fazes me or that I look disinterested in a lot of things but I just don’t get too riled up about big events,” said Sheehan.
“It’s an important thing to have in a position like hooker. You get a lot of big moments where you have to execute and can’t let the moment get to your head so I think that’s been a big point for me as well.”
He admits he was a bit more reserved when he was younger but his confidence has grown and grown in the last couple of years.
Such is his ability, it’s easy to forget that he only made his Leinster debut in October 2020 and won his first Ireland cap in November 2021. It’s been a whirlwind journey.
