Andrew Sheridan
Encyclopedia
Andrew Sheridan is an English
rugby union
player and musician, who plays loosehead prop for Sale Sharks
.
Sheridan is 1.95 metre tall, which is unusually tall for a prop, and weighs 125 kilogram. He is known for his great physical strength – he is a near-elite class powerlifter and able to bench press
225 kilograms (33 st, over 495 lb) and squat
275 kilograms (over 600 lb).
at the age of nine with Old Elthamians, where he played for five years, until he went to Dulwich College
. There he worked his way through the Surrey age group teams and was capped by both the England U16 and U18 Group Schools teams as a lock.
He joined Richmond
in the 1998–99 season and as they folded he won a place in the England U21 squad that played in the 1999 SANZAR tournament in Argentina.
, where he made around 80 appearances. His physique also caused problems; slightly short for a lock, he was also too heavy to be lifted in the line-out (a key area of second row play), meaning that if he played there, a tall back row forward (such as Dean Ryan
) had to fill in; he was also not mobile enough to play in the back row himself; as a result it was decided to switch him to loosehead prop, despite his being very tall for that position. Sheridan was switched from lock to loosehead prop by New Zealander Peter Thorburn
while at Bristol. He showed his versatility by also playing at Number 8.
, Sheridan joined Sale. In his first season at Sale, Sheridan played in the final of the 2004 Powergen Cup. Sheridan started for Sale as they defeated Pau
in the final of the 2004–05 European Challenge Cup
. Sheridan helped Sale Sharks to top the League in the 2005–06 season. An injury sustained earlier in the season meant Sheridan could not play in the final, as Sale defeated the Leicester Tigers
to become Premiership champions for the first time.
. During 2001/02 Sheridan played for England A against France A
and Ireland A. In 2003 Sheridan was selected to represent England A
at the 2003 Churchill Cup
in Canada, as well as fixtures against the USA and Japan. In December 2003, he played for the England XV that took on the Barbarians
immediately following England
’s 2003 Rugby World Cup
success. He finally won his first cap for England
in November 2004, coming on as a replacement against Canada
.
, as many felt with only one cap to his name he was unlikely to feature heavily. On the 2005 tour, he was sent to the sin-bin after attempting to punch Luke McAlister
following a clash of heads in the game against New Zealand Māori
. Sheridan did not feature in the Test series.
, playing the main role in out-classing the Australian front row. Neither of his opposite numbers finished the match. First, Al Baxter
proved unable to deal with Sheridan's power, and was eventually sin-binned late in the second half for collapsing a scrum after being warned for repeated scrum violations. Shortly afterwards, Matt Dunning
, who was forced to move opposite Sheridan, was stretchered off after a scrum with what was feared to be a serious neck injury; however, scans showed no structural damage to Dunning's neck. Due to the sin-binning and Dunning's injury, the referee ordered uncontested scrums for the last 10 minutes of the match.
. Sheridan played the full 80 minutes in the 2007 Rugby World Cup Final
.
. Sheridan played in two Tests
, starting the third and final Test.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player and musician, who plays loosehead prop for Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
.
Sheridan is 1.95 metre tall, which is unusually tall for a prop, and weighs 125 kilogram. He is known for his great physical strength – he is a near-elite class powerlifter and able to bench press
Bench press
The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight...
225 kilograms (33 st, over 495 lb) and squat
Squat (exercise)
In strength training, the squat is a compound, full body exercise that trains primarily the muscles of the thighs, hips and buttocks, quads , hamstrings, as well as strengthening the bones, ligaments and insertion of the tendons throughout the lower body...
275 kilograms (over 600 lb).
Early career
Sheridan started playing rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
at the age of nine with Old Elthamians, where he played for five years, until he went to Dulwich College
Dulwich College
Dulwich College is an independent school for boys in Dulwich, southeast London, England. The college was founded in 1619 by Edward Alleyn, a successful Elizabethan actor, with the original purpose of educating 12 poor scholars as the foundation of "God's Gift". It currently has about 1,600 boys,...
. There he worked his way through the Surrey age group teams and was capped by both the England U16 and U18 Group Schools teams as a lock.
He joined Richmond
Richmond F.C.
Richmond Football Club is a rugby union club from Richmond, London. It is a founding member of the Rugby Football Union, and is one of the oldest football clubs...
in the 1998–99 season and as they folded he won a place in the England U21 squad that played in the 1999 SANZAR tournament in Argentina.
Bristol and positional change
On his return from the SANZAR tournament he joined BristolBristol Rugby
Bristol Rugby is a rugby union club based in Bristol, England. The club currently plays in the RFU Championship and competes in the British and Irish Cup. They rely in large part on the many junior rugby clubs in the region, particularly those from 'the Combination'...
, where he made around 80 appearances. His physique also caused problems; slightly short for a lock, he was also too heavy to be lifted in the line-out (a key area of second row play), meaning that if he played there, a tall back row forward (such as Dean Ryan
Dean Ryan
Dean Ryan is a former corporal in the Corp of Royal Engineers and England Rugby Union Number 8, and was Head Coach at Guinness Premiership side Gloucester Rugby.-Playing career:During his on-field career Ryan played for Saracens, Wasps, Newcastle and Bristol...
) had to fill in; he was also not mobile enough to play in the back row himself; as a result it was decided to switch him to loosehead prop, despite his being very tall for that position. Sheridan was switched from lock to loosehead prop by New Zealander Peter Thorburn
Peter Thorburn
Peter Thorburn is a New Zealand rugby union coach. He worked previously for New Zealand national rugby union team and was also a coach, then Director of Rugby at English club Bristol Rugby from 2001 to 2003...
while at Bristol. He showed his versatility by also playing at Number 8.
Sale Sharks
After Bristol were relegated in the 2002–03 season2002–03 Zurich Premiership
The 2002-03 Zurich Premiership was the 16th season of the top flight of the English domestic rugby union competitions.The Zurich Championship which had been competed for in seasons 2000–01 and 2001–02 was dropped from this season.-Table:...
, Sheridan joined Sale. In his first season at Sale, Sheridan played in the final of the 2004 Powergen Cup. Sheridan started for Sale as they defeated Pau
Section Paloise
Section Paloise is a French rugby union club from Pau in Pyrénées-Atlantiques currently competing in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the French league system.-History:...
in the final of the 2004–05 European Challenge Cup
2004–05 European Challenge Cup
The 2004–05 European Challenge Cup was the ninth year of the European Challenge Cup, the second tier rugby union cup competition below the Heineken Cup.-Round 1:-Round 2:...
. Sheridan helped Sale Sharks to top the League in the 2005–06 season. An injury sustained earlier in the season meant Sheridan could not play in the final, as Sale defeated the Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
to become Premiership champions for the first time.
Early international career and debut
In 2000 he was a squad member on England’s tour to South Africa2000 England rugby union tour of South Africa
-Matches:-Touring party:*Manager: Clive Woodward*Assistant Manager: Andy Robinson*Captain: Martin Johnson-Full Back:Matt Perry , Tim Stimpson , Rob Thirlby .-Three-Quarters:...
. During 2001/02 Sheridan played for England A against France A
France A national rugby union team
The France A national rugby union team, known previously as France XV national rugby union team and France B national rugby union team, are the second national rugby union team behind the French national side.-History:...
and Ireland A. In 2003 Sheridan was selected to represent England A
England Saxons
England Saxons is the current name of England's men's second national rugby union team. The team has previously been known by a number of names, such as England B, Emerging England and, most recently, England A...
at the 2003 Churchill Cup
2003 Churchill Cup
The 2003 Churchill Cup was held between 14 June and 28 June 2003 in Vancouver, Canada. It was the inaugural year of the Churchill Cup. Three rugby union teams took part in the men's competition: Canada, England A and the USA....
in Canada, as well as fixtures against the USA and Japan. In December 2003, he played for the England XV that took on the Barbarians
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
immediately following England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
’s 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
success. He finally won his first cap for England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
in November 2004, coming on as a replacement against Canada
Canada national rugby union team
The Canada national rugby union team represents Canada in international rugby union. They are governed by Rugby Canada, and play in red and black. Canada is classified by the International Rugby Board as a tier two rugby nation. There are ten tier one nations, and seven tier two nations, the...
.
2005 Lions Tour
He was somewhat controversially selected for the 2005 Lions tour of New Zealand2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand
In 2005 the British and Irish Lions rugby union team toured New Zealand for the first time since 1993, playing 7 tour matches against first and second division clubs from the National Provincial Championship series, 1 tour match against the national New Zealand all Māori club, and 3 official test...
, as many felt with only one cap to his name he was unlikely to feature heavily. On the 2005 tour, he was sent to the sin-bin after attempting to punch Luke McAlister
Luke McAlister
Charles Luke McAlister is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He plays first five-eighths and second five-eighths ....
following a clash of heads in the game against New Zealand Māori
New Zealand Maori rugby union team
New Zealand Māori is a rugby union team that traditionally plays teams touring New Zealand. A prerequisite for playing in this team is that the player is to have Māori whakapapa or genealogy. In the past this rule was not strictly applied. In the past non-Māori players who looked Māori were often...
. Sheridan did not feature in the Test series.
First start for England
However, he established his reputation later that year in England's November Test against AustraliaAustralia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
, playing the main role in out-classing the Australian front row. Neither of his opposite numbers finished the match. First, Al Baxter
Al Baxter
Al Baxter is an Australian rugby union player. He currently plays for the Waratahs in the Super 14. He played in the 2003 and 2007 Rugby World Cups, but was not selected for the 2011 squad.-Career:...
proved unable to deal with Sheridan's power, and was eventually sin-binned late in the second half for collapsing a scrum after being warned for repeated scrum violations. Shortly afterwards, Matt Dunning
Matt Dunning
Matt Dunning is an Australian rugby union footballer. He was educated at Northholm Grammar School and represented New South Wales and Australian Schools, U19s and U21s. Dunning plays club rugby for Eastwood and has represented the New South Wales Waratahs in the Super 14 since 2001...
, who was forced to move opposite Sheridan, was stretchered off after a scrum with what was feared to be a serious neck injury; however, scans showed no structural damage to Dunning's neck. Due to the sin-binning and Dunning's injury, the referee ordered uncontested scrums for the last 10 minutes of the match.
2006 injury
During a 23–21 victory over South Africa on 20 November 2006, Sheridan suffered a broken left ankle and ligament damage. The injury ruled him out for the rest of the 2006/07 season.2007 Rugby World Cup
He won 'Man of the match' against Australia in the Quarter final of the 2007 Rugby World Cup2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
. Sheridan played the full 80 minutes in the 2007 Rugby World Cup Final
2007 Rugby World Cup Final
The 2007 Rugby World Cup Final was a rugby union match, played on Saturday, 20 October 2007 at the Stade de France, Saint-Denis, Paris. The match determined the winner of the 2007 Rugby World Cup and the de facto world champions for the next four years...
.
2009 Lions Tour
Sheridan was included in the squad for the 2009 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa2009 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa
The 2009 British and Irish Lions Tour to South Africa was an international rugby union tour which took place in South Africa from May to July 2009....
. Sheridan played in two Tests
Test match (rugby union)
Test match in rugby union is a match recognised as being a full international match by at least one of the participating teams' governing bodies. It is an unofficial but widely used term in the sport....
, starting the third and final Test.