Lam’s ‘kick up backside’ made Sheedy Wales’ star
MODEST Wales hero Callum Sheedy believes he would never have survived to become the scourge of England had Pat Lam not landed the top job at Bristol.
Before Lam’s arrival at Ashton Gate in 2017, Sheedy, 25, had trawled the lower leagues during formative loan spells at Dings Crusaders, Cinderford and Jersey.
That may have provided invaluable experience, but Sheedy reveals it took some plain speaking from Lam to provide the extra focus that laid the platform for success.
After calmly kicking the goals that put Wales on the way to victory over England in Cardiff last weekend, Sheedy told The Rugby Paper: “Pat’s been huge for me and if he hadn’t come to Bristol, I’d be nowhere near where I am.
“I’d probably be on a building site somewhere if he hadn’t given me the kick up the backside I needed and made me start stripping my game right down, go back to the vision of why I played rugby and what it was I actually wanted to achieve in the game.
“I remember our first conversation when I told him I wanted to be an international and his reply was, ‘That’s a great ambition, but how are you going to do it?’.
“At the time I was third or fourth choice at Bristol but Pat gave me stepping stones and once I’d reached one, we’d set out another goal. That’s the reason I’m here now and the faith he’s shown in me has been incredible over the three or four years.
“I’ll forever be in debt to him but the challenge now is to keep building on what I’ve done and I’m in great environments with Bristol and Wales to do that, both in terms of my development as a person off the pitch and the player I am when I’m out there.”
After a brief dalliance with England against the Barbarians in 2019, Cardiff-born Sheedy has looked to the manner-born since first donning a Welsh jersey against Ireland last November.
He believes there is plenty more to come as he competes for the No.10 jersey with Northampton’s Dan Biggar, whose career he has followed intently since being a wide-eyed 12year-old in 2008.
Sheedy explains: “I remember when I was young, I actually went to Dan’s first ever game for Wales in the Millennium Stadium against Canada. Growing up he was always someone I looked up to and since getting into the Wales squad, he’s been brilliant with me. Just the professionalism he has, his skillset, he’s definitely up there with the best I’ve ever played with.
“The standards he demands of his teammates are right up there and having played against him in the Premiership, you know he’s a world-class operator.
“To train with him and learn off him is special and he’s helping me all the time, on and off the pitch. He’s got 90-odd caps but he’s just a normal bloke who makes you feel like his mate, which is great from a bloke who’s been Wales’ No.10 for a decade.”
With victory over the English securing a Triple Crown, one might imagine it would be time to celebrate. Not a bit of it, says Sheedy, who adds: “It was a bit of a blur and then it was back to business at Bristol, where Pat sets the highest standards too.
“Winning the Triple Crown last week was fantastic, but we’ve still got two games to go against Italy and France and we’re fully focussed on them. We’ve put ourselves in a good position but the Triple Crown means nothing if we lose those.”
Should Wales secure a Grand Slam, skipper Alun Wyn Jones will become the overwhelming favourite to captain the Lions.
“Alun’s played 150-odd Tests, so he’s a one-in-amillion,” says Sheedy. “As a captain for Wales he’s been incredible.
“In terms of the way he’s playing, he’s better than ever and watching him in training he genuinely runs around like a 19 or 20-year-old.
“He’s playing the rugby of his life so, hopefully, he’ll get the nod to captain the Lions.”