The uncomplicated message for Sheehan and Ireland? Go out and win the game

'I think we're all aware of the different little permutations, but our job is to go out and win a game,' Dan Sheehan said yesterday.

CLEAR AND SIMPLE: Dan Sheehan poses for a portrait during an Ireland Rugby media conference. Pic: Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

The message for Ireland this week as they target their World Cup showdown with Scotland this Saturday night will be simple - just go out and win.

While the rugby communities of three nations descend into a morass of permutations as Pool B reaches its climax, Ireland’s Dan Sheehan has revealed that the precise requirements of what his team need against the Scots at Stade de France will be kept strictly on a need to know basis.

With South Africa’s director of rugby Rassie Erasmus retweeting a plethora of scenarios based on all the outcomes of this pivotal pool game and the defending champions’ head coach Jacques Nienaber pouring fuel on the fire of conspiracy theories that their rivals Ireland and Scotland could conspire against his side to produce a result which would send the Springboks home, permutation paralysis is setting in online. 

It has even compelled World Rugby, with the tournament organisers and governing body of the sport issuing its official version of the state of play going into the final weekend of pool play.

Yet amid explanations of head-to-head rules, bonus points and points differences published on Tuesday night in a six-item breakdown of what it will take to qualify for the quarter-finals, Ireland’s situation boiled down to essentially one underlying fact: Ireland will guarantee top spot if they secure two points from their match against Scotland.

That suits Ireland’s hooker down to the ground.

“I think we're all aware of the different little permutations, but our job is to go out and win a game,” Sheehan said yesterday.

“I'm sure there'll be scenarios throughout, that if we find ourselves in a situation we'll know what to do, and it would be stupid of us not to know it going into a match.

“Of course everyone is fully aware of what we need to do at what time and depending on what the scoreline is. For us as a XV on the pitch, it's just win the game.” 

Sheehan, 25, made his World Cup debut 11 days ago in the 13-8 victory over South Africa having come off the bench for his first match minutes since a foot injury sustained against England on August 19. 

His appearance against the 2019 champions and contribution to an impactful group of replacements was considerable and the hooker said it was a welcome confidence boost for what he hopes will be plenty of game time to come, with a return to the starting line-up against Scotland a distinct possibility.

“Yeah, definitely. To get a good three or four weeks now of training under the belt and a half an hour of rugby definitely means that I have sort of got the confidence back.

“I feel in a great place, probably the fittest and the best condition I have been in a long time. It was nice to have that rehab window, where you can focus on other things as well. The body is in great shape.” 

It was a different story seven weeks ago when he limped off the field just before half-time at Aviva Stadium and Sheehan admitted he initially thought he might not make the World Cup.

“Just when the event (injury) happened in the England game, I just felt it was something that would take a good few weeks.

“Even chatting to the physios after, it looked like it would have taken a bit longer. I was probably looking at around eight weeks, but I think as the week went on, it recovered really well, even in the first week, so that kind of gave us a good window.

“In fairness, everyone in here gave me every chance to give me that week to make sure we knew exactly what it was, and sort of a timeline.

“I think from there, once I knew there was a chance, it was just head down and start working. There was a good team behind me that put a lot of work into me to get me here.

“After the first two weeks, I knew it was definitely a possibility of getting to play in the group stages anyway.” 

Sheehan does sense a difference in atmosphere this week as matchday approaches, despite the opposition being so familiar but he is confident the Ireland squad will not stray from an approach that has delivered 16 consecutive Test victories.

“Obviously there is a lot on the line, especially this week. But I think we probably stick to the same procedures in regards to preparation.

“I think you can be in danger of over-hyping a game or getting too feared up about an occasion, so realistically, it’s pretty similar to a Test match, but obviously everyone knows that there is a lot on the line.”