Veteran Sheahan fighting fit and relishing Thomond return

HE HAS been there for some of Munster’s greatest triumphs — the away wins at Stade Francais (2002) and Leicester Tigers (2003) or the Gloucester ‘Miracle Match’ (2003) form a neat highlights reel of Frank Sheahan’s career.

But as he edges nearer the 150-appearance mark for his province, the prospect of facing the All Blacks in Thomond Park would be a fitting trailer to a dyed-in-the-wool Red.

That’s he’s playing tonight will delight him having had to endure international exclusion last month. It’s often written that Mick Galwey returned to Shannon upon learning for the umpteenth time that he was dropped by another Ireland selection committee. And although Sheahan hasn’t suffered that level of heartbreak, he found refuge at Camp Munster and worked solidly towards his target of making the side to face the New Zealanders.

Accepting he is at best, “fourth choice (Ireland) hooker”, Sheahan feels he’s playing the rugby of his life, and where better to showcase such self belief than against the All Blacks?

“It’s something else to be part of a side in Thomond Park against such a team,” he admits, having edged out Denis Fogarty for the Munster No 2 jersey.

He’s had more good than bad days in a Munster jersey, and though his current contract expires next June, he’ll take stock of his career, be that inside or outside professional rugby.

“I’d hope to continue but it’ll be dependent on Munster and myself and whether I was happy. Or whether I felt I wasn’t getting a good break — that could be a determining factor as well.”

With 29 Ireland caps to his name, the 32-year-old had hoped to supplement that collection this season, but for that to happen, he needed regular action at Munster. Jerry Flannery is Tony McGahan’s first choice hooker and Rory Best and Bernard Jackman are regulars at Ulster and Leinster respectively so he understood Declan Kidney’s decision.

“At the start of the year I was targeting to be a starting for Munster. If that happened, I felt it’d open the door for Ireland,” is his honest appraisal. “Unfortunately when I’m not getting the start here all the time, it makes it difficult for the national coach to select me.

“But there’s no doubt about it — the disappointment is tough. I love playing for my country and it’s something I’d love to do again in the future. What I’m concentrating on is to keep improving. Ironically, even though I’m down to the fourth choice hooker in Ireland at the moment at most, I feel I’m a better player than I’ve ever been. I feel far fitter, more accurate (at my throwing) and more experienced.”

He accepts exclusion from Ireland squads hasn’t occurred too often in a long career that took a turn for the worst when sustaining a serious neck injury against Sale in October 2005. “I was around when Woodie (Keith Wood) was there, and then Shane Byrne and myself were battling for the jersey. Then Jerry (Flannery) came in at the time I injured my neck. I suppose I’m a different player to Jerry and probably he may be more suited to some games and I may be more suited to other games.”

Tonight he’ll run out onto Thomond once again and revel in the Thomond experience as has happened so often during his 12-year career with the province. He’ll get that tingle again when the decibel level inside the renovated ground will, for the first time, be properly tested by a partisan 26,500 crowd.

And although the power of the 16th man cannot be underestimated, the players cannot fear the black shirt, says Sheahan. “If we can get over the psyche of that All Black jersey, which does serious damage to opposition teams over the years before they even start the match, it is going to help us. And if we play to our abilities and get all the breaks, you never know.

“When you watch them on TV, you think they’re like supermen. It is encouraging in a way that they can lose games as well. You look at teams like Australia and South Africa over the years that have gone out against them with no right to get a result but beat them. A lot of that is mental.

“It’s massive game and it’s why we play rugby; for these occasions. That we treat it like another game is the important thing. It’s not until you talk to someone like Rua (Tipoki) about the game that it really hits home. He talks about it with a smile on his face and feels we have a great chance because this All Black side is quite young.”