URC’s best among peers not in final

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Hooker Dan Sheehan has been named the Vodacom URC Players’ Player of the Season after featuring prominently for Leinster up to the semi-finals of the competition.

The award is voted for by the league’s captains and vice-captains and the 24-year-old came out on top in a poll which was conducted at the end of the regular campaign.

It is the second time Sheehan has been recognised in the URC awards having secured a place in the Elite XV, pipping Top Try Scorer Tom Stewart to the hooker position.

Sheehan crossed eight times to help Leinster top the league table with only teammate Rob Russell (10) registering more.

In scoring four tries in the 42-10 Round 2 win over Benetton at the RDS Arena, including a 28-minute hat-trick, Sheehan equalled the URC record number by an individual in a game – becoming the eighth player, and first from Leinster, to achieve that feat.

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He also claimed a brace as Leinster suffered Champions Cup final heartache for the second successive season, losing 27-26 to holders La Rochelle in Dublin on Saturday.

Sheehan has been capped 17 times by Ireland and was part of the team which registered an historic tour success against New Zealand last summer.

In addition, he went over twice as Ireland clinched Guinness Six Nations Grand Slam success in Dublin for the first time with a battling 29-16 bonus-point victory over 14-man England in March.

Further to his URC recognition, Sheenan was nominated for the Men’s XVs Players’ Player of the Year and Men’s Young Player of the Year in the Rugby Players Ireland Awards.

URC Awards 2022-23 winners:

Top Try Scorer: Tom Stewart (Ulster)
Tackle Machine: John Hodnett (Munster)
Turnover King: Thomas Young (Cardiff Rugby)
Next-Gen Player of the Season: Tom Stewart (Ulster)
Elite XV: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls), Darcy Graham (Edinburgh), Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors), Daniel du Plessis (Stormers), Simone Gesi (Zebre Parma), Ross Byrne (Leinster), Grant Williams (Sharks), Gavin Coombes (Munster), Scott Penny (Leinster), Vaea Fifita (Scarlets), Federico Ruzza (Benetton), Niall Murray (Connacht), Finlay Bealham (Connacht), Dan Sheehan (Leinster), Steven Kitshoff (Stormers)
Try of the Season: Joaquin Riera (Benetton)
Ironman: Quan Horn (Lions)
Golden Boot: Johan Goosen (Bulls)
Fans’ Player of the Season: Manie Libbok (Stormers)
Coach of the Season: Franco Smith (Glasgow Warriors)
Players’ Player of the Season: Dan Sheehan (Leinster)

Photo: @leinsterrugby/Twitter

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