Dan Sheehan: Absence of friendly giant Atonio casts shadow over Paris blockbuster

Leinster and Ireland’s hooker revealed Uini Atonio’s plight had transcended international and club rivalries

Dan Sheehan at The Campus, Quinta do Lago, Portugal. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady

Ireland flew into the French capital on Monday for their blockbuster Guinness Six Nations opener at Stade de France on Thursday night, but with Dan Sheehan reflecting that in the enforced absence of Uini Atonio, “rugby is not the most important thing”.

Atonio, 35, was forced to retire from rugby last week after experiencing a “cardiac event” whilst warming up for La Rochelle before a Top 14 league match at home to Clermont Auvergne. His withdrawal from the France squad was an inevitable consequence but the news has not just impacted the home side ahead of this round one clash between the title holders and the team they usurped to take the 2025 championship.