Dan Sheehan: Absence of friendly giant Atonio casts shadow over Paris blockbuster
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.
Leinster and Ireland’s hooker revealed Atonio’s plight had transcended international and club rivalries having faced the tighthead prop only last month in a Champions Cup pool game at Aviva Stadium.
“It's pretty tragic,” Sheehan said. “It puts things into perspective. Only two or three weeks ago, we were playing against him.
“To hear something like that forces him into retirement, obviously we wish him all the best. He's been a top competitor, especially for us Leinster lads over the last couple of years. So, it definitely put things in perspective that, you know, rugby's not the most important thing.”
Sheehan explained how Atonio’s personality won over team-mates and opponents alike, adding: “He's always been the friendly character. He's probably the opposite of (La Rochelle lock Nick) Skelton in some ways. He's the one sort of chatting to you. He'd just be having normal conversations with you in scrums and stuff, and you're just like, ‘What the heck?’
“But he'd come up to you after a game and just chat to you as if he's known you for years. So he's always been that sort of friendly character, but yet a seriously talented competitor at the same time.
“Sometimes I struggle to see how he's able to just go from one sort of personality to the other. He's been top, top quality for so many years now, and we wish him all the best.”
While Atonio’s absence will cast a shadow over proceedings at Stade de France on Thursday, it will not lead to a subdued atmosphere and Sheehan is relishing another opportunity to play in front a full house on French soil.
“I love the Stade de France. When someone asks me what's your favourite away stadium, I think it's the Stade de France. It's a great atmosphere that you just embrace and love. If you love rugby you should love playing in those venues.
“Obviously playing there four years ago, that was my first big game where I came off the bench early and that was a good welcome to international rugby. I just love playing in those environments and even in Marseille that was another great day for us.
“We just need to make sure that it doesn't overwhelm us at all and that's my job. A lot of lads with experiences, to tell the lads that it's just a brilliant place to go and play rugby and go and perform.
“There'll be loads of Irish there but the French don't wish you bad. They're just looking for a good game and I think they're just excited to see a good match.”
Sheehan implied he would like to see Ireland supporters inject a bit of French passion into the Aviva Stadium atmosphere but for now he is hoping his team uses the raucous nature of a France-backing crowd to Ireland’s advantage on Thursday night.
“I think the French are just very supportive people and I don't think they need to be on the pints all day to get in behind their teams with a bit of noise.
“They're chanting the whole way, marching bands, all the lot. It's a brilliant place. I think we just need to embrace it and hopefully jump on the back of it.”
Ireland will go into Stade de France as underdogs against the defending champions following bruising defeats to both New Zealand and South Africa either side of big wins over Japan and Australia last November. The general consensus within the squad is that the bulk of the frontline players were undercooked for those Autumn Nations Series Tests after a late start to their provincial seasons following a summer tour with the British & Irish Lions that pushed their 2024-25 campaigns beyond 52 weeks. Yet Sheehan will not lean on that sort of mitigation as Ireland look to hit the ground running in Paris.
“I wouldn't use the excuse that in November we weren't at it but it's nice to have a good few games under the belt, some big European games, some big inter-pro games.
“I think people are all match-fit now and coming around Six Nations time, everyone is definitely match-fit and ready to go. The season is well underway and I think people are buzzing to enjoy the Six Nations ahead.
“Even with all the scrum stuff against South Africa I think we put some good phases together with our attack. The Australia game, I thought our attack clicked pretty well. The Japan game was similar at times when I think people were questioning whether we'd taken a step back.
“So, obviously in all those games we're looking for improvements but there's definitely signs of what we'd worked on during the week coming off.
“If we can put more minutes together rather than just in patchy bits, we should be in a good spot.
“I think the belief has been building over the last week now, that a full 80 minutes of being mentally drained, that we're always switched on, trying to get what we've been training onto the pitch, we should be in a good spot.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
