Dan Sheehan’s explosive Six Nations return fueled by training with Olympic boxer
DAN THE MAN: Dan Sheehan made an explosive return to Test rugby. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady
It would have been difficult to miss Dan Sheehan’s explosive return to Test rugby as the Ireland hooker delivered a try-scoring, barnstorming impact off the bench to secure an opening-round Guinness Six Nations victory over England.
Sheehan’s energy and physicality around the Aviva Stadium pitch last Saturday, seven days after a two-try comeback from a six-month injury lay-off starting for Leinster, shattered the perception of a softly, softly approach that might have followed the ACL knee injury he sustained in South Africa last July in the first Test against the Springboks.
Indeed, when the 26-year-old explained he had spent much of his rehabilitation in the gym of 1996 Irish Olympic heavyweight boxer Cathal O’Grady, it readily explains how he managed to pack such a punch.
Speaking on Wednesday, as the Ireland squad discussed this Sunday’s visit to Murrayfield to face Scotland, the hooker revealed the secret of his deeply impressive and speedy return to elite-level rugby, organised for him by Leinster senior physiotherapist Emma Gallivan, a former physio to the Irish Olympic team.
“He’s been brilliant for me,” Sheehan said of O’Grady. “I did boxing with him in Harolds Cross every week for a good chunk of the rehab period. Emma Gallivan used to work in the boxing circle, so got in touch with him.
“He was just excellent to get the fitness and stuff but mainly the footwork while being distracted by the big hitters, trying to hit someone. It definitely helped my footwork, and getting me a bit of bounce.
“One of the big things with the ACL is obviously trying to get your power output back and reactive strength and stuff so. To have boxing as a form of distraction and why you’re moving footwork, how important footwork is in boxing and skipping and stuff, it's actually become a big part of my daily routine now is skipping.
"It’s definitely been a massive factor of getting me back and making me feel confident.”
Last Saturday’s performance against the English certainly appeared to be full of confidence as Sheehan started the move inside his own half that he would finish with a swallow dive to give Ireland their try bonus point, his impact off the bench at Test level a further morale boost that bodes well for this weekend.
“It’s just nice being back in the room with the lads and being back involved in those big games, feeling those nerves and that anxiety before a game it was nice to feel again.
"Yeah of course it is nice to know I can add value to a team still and nothing is restricting me anymore and it’s not in my head at all so definitely the way I have been able to perform in the last few weeks has given me confidence that there is nothing wrong with me anymore and I can go on.
“Mind and body is fresh, everywhere else. I definitely feel in a comfortable position. With a big season ahead, hopefully I’m in a good spot.
Sheehan has reflected positively on his time away from rugby, grateful for the timing of the injury and the opportunities it gave him with family and friends.
“It was kind of a nice time to do it if you were going to do it, the ACL. When all the (Ireland) lads went off for a five-week holiday and I was able to get almost a month and a half ahead by the time they came back in.
"In that sense I felt like I was getting ahead but in those big games when you’re at home and the lads are in the Shelbourne getting ready for a game or the big Leinster games in Croke Park, the European games, when you’re being left and the lads are flying off around Europe, they’re definitely tough, yeah, when you’re the only man in the gym doing your work.
"But I always had hope that I was always tracking well that I could see the progress every week and I didn’t have any set-backs really. It wasn’t too bad but people have had a lot worse.
“Not that I took it for granted before but it’s definitely something that was in my head of how appreciative I was to be given the opportunity to be in the room with the lads and how special it is to be in camp with this group of people.
“It’s definitely my favourite time of the year is Six Nations and being in camp. I think that would be the same for a lot of people in the room, that’s just the environment that’s been created over the last couple of years.
"It's definitely nice to be back.”
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