Sheehan recounts his 'throw and hope' try

If it hadn't been for 'the incident', we may have been talking a lot more about Dan Sheehan’s try in Saturday’s nail-biting second Test between the Lions and Australia.

Sheehan scored the first of the Lions’ five tries in the 29-26 thriller at the MCG when he dived over from a five-metre penalty, a score which angered the Australians at the time.

Having taken a similar penalty and met a brick wall moments earlier, Sheehan took a different approach the second time around, diving over the attempted tackles of David Porecki and James Slipper and in for the try, one which exploited a grey area in rugby’s lawbook.

While it’s illegal to jump into or over a tackle, in 2022 World Rugby clarified that it is legal to dive "in order to score a try". Essentially, the threshold for attempting to score a try is down to the interpretation of a referee.

"I can see all the controversy about it, but I did know that you can dive in the air if you score," Sheehan said, when asked about the mechanics of the situation this week.

"I feel like I was at full stretch and landed over the line so why not?

Sheehan dives over two tackles in the process of scoring his try

"I took the first one [penalty] and I got absolutely melted trying to go low.

"Usually, it's one lad goes low and someone maybe is high and I just got both shoulders melted low and I didn't really get much out of it.

"Then the second one I just thought: 'If I have a dive here...’ I didn't know if they had anyone in the back. It was just a throw and hope and I slipped through."

It was interesting to note on Sunday how Jack Conan referenced too often coming out on the wrong side of those kind of games, both for Leinster and Ireland, and Sheehan, who was off the pitch at the time, admitted to having similar thoughts as the final minutes played out at the MCG.

"I was sitting there beside Tadhg [Furlong] and he looked at me and I looked at him. He was like: ‘How many times have we been sitting on this bench in this situation and we've never won a game?’ And it was tough. It's almost harder watching it sometimes.

"When you're on the pitch you're so focused and you don't let your mind wander but when you're sitting on the bench it’s out of your control.

Dan Sheehan has scored in each Test so far, among three tries in five games on tour

"Obviously, the bench were doing a great job, which was nice to see, but it was something that felt like a fan in some ways. You're so engulfed in what you're seeing.

"But it's probably almost more enjoyable watching it happen and being able to celebrate."

It was a few hours after the final whistle before the team bus eventually made it out of the MCG, as the players did their best to soak up every ounce of their win.

An hour after the game, the players even took one last trip back out onto the pitch and sat around the centre circle, something the Australian cricketers would often do after wins at The G.

They didn’t last long out there, with the ground staff busy preparing the pitch for an AFL game the next day, but it was the highlight of the weekend for Sheehan.

"I think the excitement around the group and those few hours with the lads after the game, they're always my favourite sort of moments.

"We probably stuck around the MCG for far too long, but it was definitely memories that will last a lifetime and I think everyone's sort of celebrated enough now.

"I was literally just about to jump in the shower. I had the shorts off and everything, and then Jamo [Jamison Gibson-Park] was like, ‘We're out’.

"So, we all got out and circled up, and I don't think the MCG were very happy with us on the cricket crease, but we’re having scrums on the cricket crease, so we might as well sit down on a chair.

"You can see the photos. It's something special. Everyone's singing songs in a group and it's just us, and it's sort of a moment to reflect on the journey.

"It's been long enough since we've been out here, when you look back at Perth and that first meet up. So, yeah, it was nice to celebrate it."

Being able to enjoy the win with family has been all the more special. Andy Farrell has always placed a big emphasis on having the players’ families close by during his time as Ireland coach, and that has been followed through with the Lions.

Before the first Test, players were presented with their jerseys by their families in a special ceremony at Brisbane’s Botanical Garden, while after last week’s Test at the MCG the players had their partners, wives and children with them on the pitch to share the moment.

And the 26-year-old has credited his head coach Farrell for how he’s stitched the squad together, and maintained a happy camp.

Dan Sheehan, left, celebrates with Andy Farrell

"He [Farrell] says you should never feel guilty for having a smile on your face and I think it can be quite daunting coming into these big squads.

"I remember coming into Ireland for the first time and you feel like you need to be serious all the time. Then you're in the first meeting and he's like, ‘Don't ever feel guilty for having a smile on your face. That's when people are most productive and they feel most comfortable’.

"There is a big focus on enjoyment and outside, off the pitch, during the week, I think it makes for easier preparation when you feel like you're enjoying it.

"I think he understands that a lot of lads' motivation is their family and it's definitely mine. If I'm ever asked it, it's always about my family and what it gives them and the experiences it can give them.

"That was obviously special last week before the first Test, having my old man present me my jersey, which was the first time that's happened.

"He [Farrell] knows how to push people's buttons and he definitely knows how to get the best out of people and families are always a big part."

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