Frankie Sheahan will finally step out of Keith Woods' shadow in the Stadium Lille Metropole on Sunday. And he's primed to play a major role as Munster attempt to cut down red hot favourites Stade Francais and earn a place in the Heineken European Cup for the second year in succession.

Sheahan was born in Toronto twenty-five years ago but he has grown to maturity in Cork, educated at P.B.C, U.C.C. and Cork Constitution. With a background like that, hooker Frankie was always, it seems, destined to wear the green. He has only two caps to his credit, the first against the United States, the second against Italy when he replaced Wood. But warming his backside on the subs bench and playing for Munster has fine-tuned this power packed bundle.

He's ready to produce for Munster and keep the pressure on Harlequins based Wood whenever the Six Nations Championshihp is resumed. But if the imposing figure of Wood has not beena major influence in Sheahan's life in recent weeks, the equally formidable influence of Mick Galwey and Peter Clohessy have kept the Con hooker on his toes.

"I suppose I have been a sub to Keith for about twenty games but that has not been a bad thing both from a learning viewpoint and as a bench mark in my ambitions as a player," Frankie told me.

"I like to think I am a better player for it and I believe that in the past I have become much more mature. I have certainly learaned from him but he may also have learned something from me, we are different types, while I am more restrained in my play, Keith likes to make things happen and of course it does not always work," he added.

But Sheahan is under no illusion about the task facingMunster in France next Saturday."We are facing a real machine, they will be odds on favourites and and if we are to get anything out of this game we will have to produce something special, we will have to perform as we have never do before.

"But if the niggling injuries whjich have piled up during our training sessions clear up, we will be ready," he added, "and we will be going over the videos of their games as the count down to departure nears."

David Wallace looks a definite non-starter but scrum half Peter Stringer who has dogged Sheahan's footsteps through school, University and into the Munster and Ireland scene, looks like commanding things at the base of the scrum. Stade Francais are the big money boys of the professionbal game.

"They have a squad of about forty players who are paid about four times what Munster players earn but that won't count for much once we take the field we have players on our side whose abilities and reputations will earn them respect from the opposition." And nobody comes higher on that list than Peter Clohessy, "the claw" or Judge Dredd as he is called in the dressing room.

"His word is law "laughed Sheahan " and I have never met a harder man on the rugby field than Peter, he's awesome." "At 25 I'm no longer a babe in the game but Peter has been around ten years longer than I have, so his contribution of many levels is immense," Sheahan explained. "If any of the younger players have a problem they have only to go to Mick Galway or Peter and it's sorted, that sort of help is invaluable."

And if the French boys decide to little early intimidation in scrum, ruck or maul, Clohessy is the man to put manners on them and quickly. Toulouse tried it in last year's semi final and came unstuck in the searing heat. But Munster will have to produce previously untapped rescources to clear this particular hurdle; the red army from Declan Kidney down know this only too well.

"The disruption caused to by the foot and mouth disease has certainly nbot helped " Sheahan admitted " but it has probably done more mental damage than anything else and because we have been working all the harder in training, there have been a lot of little knocks. But I think you will see them disappear the nearer we get to kick off." Munster have battled their way into this semi final with a mixture of brilliant rugby and gritty determination, typified, perhaps by their great home win against Castres which guaranteed them a home quarter final against Biarritz.

Mick Galwey warned after that Castres game;"unfortunately we are not entertainers but we want to be winners, we are here to win games. And like a good fighter, Munster can mix their play varying from pick and drive to high tempo more orthodox stuff, their entire game cloaked in a fierce focussed determination.

Stade Francais come into the game with the competitions top points scorer in outhalf Diego Dominguez, so Munster discipline will have to be controlled against the dapper outhalf who has kicked a very impressive 147 points so far. But his opposite number Ronan O'Gara, however, has not been idle amassing a very creditable 112 with a boot while Anthony Horgan grabbed five tries against seven to Franck Comba for the opposition.

And we can rest assured that coach Declan Kidney who taught Sheahan, Stringer and O'Gara at P.B.C won't leave anything to chance as the clock ticks down. Munster will be ready. The days of Irish teams in no matter what code going out as underdogs has long since gone. And as Sheahan points out, "we have some quiality players in our squad and Stade Francais will be well aware of it, so I don't think they will be too cocky to start with, although they will probably love being favourites and playing in their own country."

But presuming Wallace is the only regular missing, Munster can trot out ten Internationals plus Aussie John Langford as formidable a second row as any who have worn the green of Ireland.No, Munster can march into this game their heads high worthy semi finalists and possibly ready to make the decider once again.

Clohessy, and Galway will see that they are well motivated and no doubt every player in the squad will remember all too clelarly the disappointment of thaEuropean Cup by star studded Northampton. Munster gave their fans a great day out on that occasion, and with about 8,000 expected to travel to Lille, their supporters won't be swamped by the French. And hungry for action after the disruption caused by the scourge of foot and mouth, the red army will be in just the right mood to deliver another majestic performance. Sheahan admitted; " we would dearly love to make amends for that and hopefully we will, we will certainly be travelling with a very positive attitude."

The resumption of the A.I.B. Chamionship and Friday's representative game at Thomnond Park will ensure that Munster won't be too ring rusty when they face the french. "Obviously we would have preferred to have have prepared in a more normal way but that can't be helped and I think we have handled the situation quite well " said Sheahan"I feel we are going in to this game focussed, ambitious and fit and if we play as well as we can we won't have any cause for complaint, at least I hope we won't."

And of course, tales of Munster's fragmented prerparations may have had an unsettling affect on the french. But as soon as referee Chris White (England) blows to get things moving, the mind games will be over, the gloves will be off and what promises to be rivetting action will show us if Munster are made of the right stuff.

It's going to be as tough a game as Munster have ever faced but they have astonished European rugby with the quality and consistency of their performances in the Heineken Cup. And I don't think they will be in the mood to disappoint. Judge Dredd will see to that.

© Tom Keogh 2000

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