Dan Sheehan: 'I was sort of more just disappointed for Caelan at the time'

Dan Sheehan admitted getting the call to captain Ireland in their upcoming Nations Championship series “didn’t faze” him.

The 27-year-old hooker will skipper the team on their three-match tour – which starts against Australia on Saturday – after Caelan Doris was ruled out with a foot injury.

Sheehan revealed the call came during celebrations in the days after Leinster’s 36-7 United Rugby Championship final triumph over Pretoria Bulls last month.

He told reporters: “It hasn’t been too daunting. I remember getting the call on day two of celebrations of the URC and it didn’t faze me at all.

I was sort of more just disappointed for Caelan at the time.

Fixture

Nations Championship

Australia

03:10

4 Jul 26

Ireland

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“We have a great group of leaders already in this squad so I think it’s just a good chance for me to develop my own personal skills but also get a grip of the squad in a full month on tour, which has been nice.

“I think the prep has been good, I’ve enjoyed the build-up to it, I think everyone’s raring to go. Nice Saturday evening kick-off, hopefully a lot of Irish in town. A lot to be excited for.”

Ireland kick off the series against Australia in Sydney and come up against Japan at McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle on July 11 before concluding the tour a week later with a clash against New Zealand in Auckland.

The series is Ireland’s first since finishing second in the Six Nations earlier this year, where their only loss was to France in their opening fixture.

Looking ahead to Saturday’s match in Sydney, Sheehan said: “I think we wanted to hit the ground running. We’re a very diligent group that preps very well.

“Trying to think back to the Six Nations, we hit the ground running in Portugal, we thought we had a great week’s prep and we obviously didn’t give the best version of ourselves on the day in that first game in France.

“We need to make sure the prep needs to be the same, we need to have that same feeling and turn over all stones.

“At the same time it’s sort of stripping the detail back now in the last week and making sure we’re just focused on showing up properly, the basics of the game, physicality and making sure you’re willing to work hard.

“That’s been my focus the last couple of weeks, just making sure that the lads are switched on and not sort of overawed by detail.”