'A really special day' - Dan Sheehan's record setting Lions debut
With a strike-rate of 60 tries in 105 games of professional rugby, it would have been a safe bet to think that Dan Sheehan could get on the scoreboard in the British and Irish Lions opener in Australia against the Western Force.
As if the day wasn't big enough for the 26-year-old, his Lions debut also saw him captain the side, but any nerves about the big occasion would have been squashed as he ran in for a try inside the opening two minutes.
Captaining the Lions on debut is rare enough, but captaining the Lions on debut and scoring a try is even more so, as Sheehan joined an exclusive club to have done just that. It was last done by Rob Wainwright in 1997 against Border, while you have to go back to Tom Smyth against South Africa's South West Districts in 1910 for the only other occasion it's been done in the 137 years of Lions rugby.
Sheehan also claimed a record for himself in Perth during the 54-7 win, with the 95 seconds on the clock for his try marking the fastest ever scored by a British and Irish Lion on debut.
"It's a really special day for me, and a lot of the lads making their first appearance in this jersey," the Leinster and Ireland hooker (below) said.
"It's something special, something you watch all the way growing up, wanting to be in this jersey.
"It's kind of just sinking in now. It's a really special day. Happy with the result but plenty of things to work on as well."
Sheehan was one of three Irish players who scored tries on their Lions debuts during the first tour victory, as Garry Ringrose and Joe McCarthy also got in, among eight total tries for Andy Farrell's side.
McCarthy's try capped off a man of the match display where he also led his side with 15 carries and made 17 tackles and two turnovers in a statement performance.
"It was tough. Definitely tough. There was a lot of kicking and that's probably a taste of what's to come on this tour," the second row said following the win.
"Australians like to play ball, play quick, so we got plenty of that and it was great fun.
"We came out of the blocks firing and I felt like we had them. They came back hard but it was probably our own bit of discipline let them back into it. Plenty to review and we'll get a lot better for it.
"We want to be a ruthless side. We want to build on our performances and show a lot every week. There's plenty more to improve on."
While the scoreline suggests the game was a stroll, it took the Lions until the second half to really pull clear after a dogged opening half from the Force.
It was 21-7 at half time, with the Lions clinical in attack, scoring from each of their three good scoring opportunities, but they were being frustrated by their own kicking game, and struggled badly on kick-offs and restarts, while it was evident that their timing in defence is still a work in progress.
"We're still sort of getting used to each other, getting used to new combinations," Sheehan added, as attention turns towards Wednesday's meeting with the Queensland Reds in Brisbane.
"We'll have to just go back and make sure we're better next week on Wednesday.
"From here on it's coming thick and fast, a game every few days which is brilliant. Every team we come up against will be hungrier than ever.
"We've just got to embrace it and enjoy every second and enjoy the journey with each other, getting to know everyone on a deeper level. We've done a great job of it so far and we have to keep it going now."
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Timoney has had three other outings in the green jersey, featuring twice for Ireland's dirt-trackers against the Maori All Blacks on the 2022 tour of New Zealand, before playing with Ireland A against an All Blacks XV at the RDS in November that year. However, none of those games were full internationals. "I made my debut during the last Lions tour four years ago, and bar getting called in on the day once when there was a few injuries [against Argentina], I've only gotten picked once since then for an actual cap. "In my head, there's absolutely no hint of this being anything other than a chance to represent my country, which is a massive honour. "I'd be lying if I said there wasn't times where I was frustrated, but I certainly have had times where I feel like I'm incredibly close to it, and I've felt like if I had a chance, I would've taken it and run with it. "Obviously it's tough in my position, but that's part of it." 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"Back in the day when you're a kid, as you would with loads of different rugby players that were in your position, you'd look up some of their clips, their highlights, but there was a 10-minute compilation video of Mamuka Gorgodze playing a lot of European countries for Georgia. "There's loads of clips from them playing Poland and Russia and Spain and stuff. So I used to watch that a bit when I was younger. "He was a bit of a tank. "I was into all my highlight clips when Rugbydump was a website that was going round back in the day, 'Try-savers and rib-breakers 11' was my favourite one."
