‘My body’s perfect now’ – key Ireland star after his timely return

Ireland hooker Dan Sheehan insists he is in perfect health after making his return from injury in his team’s 13-8 win over the Springboks.

Sheehan has grown into one of the best hookers in the world and a key player for Andy Farrell, but had to spend some time on the sidelines with a foot issue picked up in the warm-ups.

His influence was missed in the line-out for the first period on Saturday as Ronan Kelleher struggled to find his jumpers but that came right when Sheehan took to the field.

A crazy experience

It was his first Rugby World Cup game and he was blown away by the atmosphere.

“For a first experience of a World Cup game, it doesn’t get much better, I don’t think, especially in a crowd like that,” he said.

“It’s definitely the best atmosphere I’ve played in. We fed off that a good bit.

“My body’s perfect now. I had a few weeks there where the medical staff did a great job to get me back in this time but I’ve no complaints at all now so I’ll be looking to get back into the squad.”

The win put Ireland in the driving seat of Pool B with only Scotland to play before they, in all likelihood, top the standings.

Whilst the side are in a good position, Sheehan claims his side is focused on their next match when asked if the pressure on the team has been eased.

“None. The job’s not done,” he stressed.

“We have a bit of luxury now that we have two weeks to lead up into the Scotland game but we can’t afford to take the foot off the gas at all.

“The Scotland game is going to be massive. That’s obviously a massive win for us but nothing’s guaranteed at all so all eyes on Scotland now.”

Tight group

The Test against the Springboks was of the highest quality with both teams looking arguably better than the rest of the competition. Sheehan believes wins in those kinds of games pull the group together.

“I think all of these big games bring you closer,” said Sheehan. “They add to the trust within the group.

“It definitely brings you tighter but you need to make sure you don’t get ahead of yourself and there’s a job to be done now against Scotland.

“We’ve huge confidence in our game plan and our approach to the games is really good. Our week’s prep has been on point for every game that we’ve won.

“We just double down on what we’re good at. We’re in a good place now and we just need to keep going.”

READ MORE: Rugby World Cup: Team stats point to one clear title favourite