Harry Sheridan: Trinity College student still taking in ascent to Ulster team

Harry Sheridan made his full Ulster debut in Saturday's thrilling Heineken Champions Cup win over Sale

Harry Sheridan is still trying to take in his ascent to the Ulster team over the last fortnight after making his debut against European champions La Rochelle and then earning a first start in last weekend's memorable victory over Sale.

After training as normal with the Irish province's academy on 9 January, the 21-year-old Holywood man was shocked when informed a day later to "move to this side of the room" alongside the players who were going to feature against Ronan O'Gara's side.

"I was told to 'go over there' and I realised 'this is happening'. That was about all the inkling I got," recalled Sheridan at his top table debut during Ulster's weekly news conference on Tuesday.

Sheridan's first act after being introduced on the hour mark against La Rochelle was producing a big hit on the French giants' skipper Gregory Alldritt as Ulster led the contest until the final play when Joel Sclavi's try earned the holders a 7-3 win.

"There were horrible conditions over there, the wind and rain was going sideways. It sort of makes it easier for someone like myself coming off the bench and getting rid of all the nerves by whacking things," smiled the 21-year-old.

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But Dan McFarland clearly liked what he had seen and with Iain Henderson unavailable because of concussion, Sheridan, who thought his hopes of a professional rugby career might be over when he didn't make the Ulster Academy at the age of 18, was pitched in for his full debut seven days later against Sale.

"My dad didn't believe me first of all which was quite funny," says Sheridan of when he told his family that he would be making his full Ulster debut.

Sheridan an Ulster season-ticket holder

Harry is a season-ticket holder at Kingspan Stadium having been going to games at Ravenhill all his life but instead of sitting in the stand with his mates as he had planned, found himself out on the pitch as Ulster clinched a famous 22-11 victory over Sale to set up a last-16 Champions Cup tie with Leinster.

After trying during the game to forget about the presence of his family, including his grandfather, in the stands, Sheridan couldn't resist picking out those familiar faces as he walked off the pitch after being replaced just before the hour mark.

"When I got subbed off I realised, 'hold on I'm a tactical sub so I can't come back on, so I'll take my time coming across the pitch'.

"I had got some tickets for my friends there sitting in the family stand, and my other family were sitting in the grandstand and my grandpa up in the disabled bit so I was looking up towards him and I picked out a few of them.

"It was a dream come true and I realised I'd got to a certain stage and I really want to keep building."

Sheridan's development is all the more remarkable when one considers that he is a full-time student at Trinity College in Dublin, where he is studying Management Science and Information Systems.

Since his first year in Dublin, he has been playing All-Ireland League rugby for Trinity although he has good reason to excuse himself from AIL duty in recent weeks in addition to having to miss a college exam because of his Ulster commitments.

Sheridan (second from left) says Ulster A's game against their Leinster counterparts in January 2021 was a big game in his rugby life

He admits that he thought rugby was "going to take a back seat" when he started his undergraduate course in Dublin after the disappointment of initially missing out on a place in the Ulster Academy.

However, then academy coach Kieran Campbell urged him not to "burn your bridges" with the province so Sheridan sent videos of his games for Trinity and was kept in the Ulster loop by being part of the sub-academy squad.

A big day in Sheridan's rugby life came at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic on 15 January 2021 when he played for Ulster A against Leinster A at Kingspan Stadium in a behind-closed-doors game streamed live on the BBC Sport NI website.

The contest was also the first time he had operated in the number-six role after initially playing at prop during his school days at Sullivan Upper before moving to the second row.

"For me that game was the Everest at the time. I've done a lot of work in the sub-academy during Covid to get to that stage and the coaches there had helped me massively. They said at the time 'just go out there and enjoy it' and it was a massive opportunity."

Sheridan's impressive display helped earn him the academy berth that he had been so disappointed to miss out on a year earlier as an 18-year-old.

The Holywood man had to wait a further 24 months for his Ulster debut and despite a whirlwind seven days which included the famous European win in Belfast, he insists he was able to "soak it all in".

'Made sure I savoured the moment'

"I made sure when I walked to the side of the pitch that I'd savour the moment in talking to my family.

"I talked to a few of the coaches as well and they congratulated me but just being there with the lads in the changing room afterwards was something special.

"I sort of let myself appreciate the work I have done to get to that stage and when I was sitting down in the chair under the number six locker.

"The sense of relief as well because before the game whether you like it or not, there are a lot of nerves that you are trying to quench."

Harry says a few well-chosen words from experienced team-mate Gareth Milasinovich before both games played crucial roles in getting his mindset right.

"He was the one that said 'enjoy the moment and just try and get your basics done well and be physical' and that's what I tried to do.

"Then in the Sale game again he just said 'enjoy it'. It kind of washed away a lot of the fears I had at that stage. Somebody telling you something as simple as that was enough to get me going."