Sheehan rejects talk of Irish decline as autumn tests loom

Ireland stand-in captain Dan Sheehan has dismissed suggestions that Irish rugby is in decline, calling the talk “all nonsense”. The Leinster hooker is leading the team this month because captain Caelan Doris is injured. Sheehan says he has “full confidence” in his team-mates.

A hooker is the player who throws the ball in at lineouts, the set piece where players line up on the touchline and compete for a ball thrown back into play, and who strikes for the ball in the scrum. Sheehan is 28 and has been one of the first names on Ireland’s team sheet for some time.

The doubts are easy to understand. Ireland lost 36-14 to France in Paris and 40-21 to New Zealand in July. Yet they have won six of their eight Tests this year. Those wins included victories over England and Scotland that helped seal the Triple Crown, which is awarded to the side that beats the other three Home Nations in the Six Nations.

Ireland are third in the world rankings, but head coach Andy Farrell has been candid about the step still needed. He admitted his team are not yet ready to have realistic ambitions of winning next year’s World Cup in Australia. Sheehan has taken a similar line, saying Ireland must improve to close the gap on the world’s best sides.

The next test is at home. Ireland face Argentina, Fiji and South Africa this month in the Nations Championship, the annual run of autumn internationals between the strongest teams. South Africa are the reigning world champions. Argentina are chasing a first away win over Ireland at the 12th attempt, though they did beat Farrell’s British and Irish Lions at the Aviva Stadium last year.

Sheehan has said he is confident Ireland can raise their level for this run of games. The three matches will show whether the team can back up those words against opponents who are all in a different class to the Six Nations sides they have just beaten.