Sometimes there are things more important than the win.
The Western Force has forgotten in recent times that there are things more important than a tick in the win column.
The first is old news – failing to play their best team against British and Irish Lions robbed many of the Force guys a once in a lifetime chance. It also robbed the fans of seeing their best against the world’s best. All so they could be out enthused and beaten by an inexperienced Waratahs team four days later.
It’s old news and it’s done. This weekend, however, they failed one of their own once again. Brett Sheehan was left on the bench, the entire game, in his last game for the club. What a way to say thank you for four years of service. Not even the chance to leave the field of battle, from the field of battle.
The decision makers – I put the blame squarely on Michael Foley’s shoulders – hung a faithful servant out to dry. I can only put myself in Sheehan’s place and think he would have felt almost embarrassed to say good bye to the supporters, to have his fiance and son watching one last time and then be so poorly treated for the sake of a win in what was hardly a season defining game for The Force.
Let’s be clear, The Force still would have won had Brett Sheehan taken the field. He has never let them down and in what may be his last game of professional rugby, you could imagine the motivation to win would higher than ever. Yet, Michael Foley left him languishing on the replacements bench.
For what? A victory against a team much more focused on the finals than on the game at hand? There has to be a sense of right in sport and the right thing to do was let this warrior say goodbye from the place that had made him, and often broke him, the middle of the field.
Brett Sheehan has come back from injuries that could end careers for less driven, less tough individuals. He has done this not once but on four occasions. He could never ever be called out for not giving 100 per cent to his teammates or the club. Yet his last game turned out to be the game before his last game. No-one knew it would be the last time he’d take the field, not even Brett.
It’s a sad state of affairs when one of your own, one who has given so much is not given the send off he deserves. In a game when only pride is on the line, how do you let one of your most loyal servants not walk off the field with some?
This is a guy, who from the early days of our first grade career for the Rats, showed how it’s done. Once we were taking belting from a bigger and stronger Norths outfit, with the forwards particularly on the wrong side of the ledger. He turned the game with a huge hit on a 140kg Tongan prop. This gave us confidence but there was another second rower, we’ll call him Goliath, who had been causing damage all game as well.
The feisty Sheehan stood up to the guy none of us were ready to stand up to. I’m not sure Goliath realised what he had taken on as he threw the first punch and missed, the following five were landed by Sheehan and Goliath was in the blood bin seeing stars and counting stitches. We somehow won on the back of Sheehan’s out-and-out toughness.
After the game a sheepish Goliath had to admit he’d have to hand his “hard man card” back after being schooled by a halfback. His own Norths boys made him skoll an extra two beers for his troubles. Sheehan led body first into everything. He was always inspirational to play with, such was his passion for the team.
I for one am proud to call Brett one of my best friends and he is one of the best and most passionate players I’ve played with. To a man, I think his past teammates would say the same. Well done Sheeno, if this is the end, you can be very proud!
