After his late penalty sealed a dramatic victory over Ulster, Callum Sheedy admitted the feeling of landing a match-winning kick in front of a raucous Arms Park crowd is one that never gets old.
The fly-half held his nerve in the closing moments to cap a remarkable comeback, and while the decisive kick will live long in the memory, Sheedy was quick to credit the work done behind the scenes, and the people around him, for making moments like that possible.
“I’ve worked hard, obviously with Leigh [Halfpenny],” Sheedy said. “Since Leigh has come in, it’s been unbelievable to work alongside him. I made a joke in the week that people pay a lot of money to go and watch Leigh Halfpenny kick and I get to do it as a job every day, so I’m very privileged to be able to learn from someone as unbelievable as him.”
The two kickers shared plenty of the spotlight on the night, as Halfpenny made his long-awaited return to the Arms Park for the first time in 4,347 days. For Sheedy, the admiration extends beyond Halfpenny’s ability, highlighting instead his attention to detail and professionalism.
“The first time we chatted about kicking, he said he wasn’t coming in to change how we kick – we all have our own styles,” Sheedy explained. “It’s more about leaning on him. He can watch a kick and know exactly what’s happening, opening up too early, closing off, things we wouldn’t necessarily see. He’s just got an eye for it.
“You can tell he’s been at the top of the game for 16 or 17 years. The visualisation he does, the preparation for each session, it’s eye-opening. Even for young boys coming through like Jacob Beetham and Matty Young, they’ll take so much from him.”
As for the kick itself, Sheedy admitted there was no escaping the magnitude of the moment.
“You know it’s a match-winning kick, we’re not stupid,” he said. “If anything, it focuses you even more. I just went back to my process and told myself to finish the kick.
“It was actually the stillest night I’ve ever had at the Arms Park. Usually the wind’s going everywhere, so someone was looking down on me tonight. I knew as soon as I hit it that it was going over.
“I’ve missed kicks and I’ll miss more, that’s part of the job. But nights like tonight are what all the hard work’s for. The kick was just the icing on the cake. I’m just glad we got the result.”
While the headlines centred on the final kick, Sheedy was keen to highlight the collective effort that put Cardiff in a position to win the game, singling out a crucial scrum late on that swung momentum and set up the opportunity.
“I’ve been told downstairs to mention it, and it’s very true, that the scrum that won us the penalty was unbelievable,” he said. “To be fair to the boys, what they put in to do that was seriously good. They’re bringing internationals off the bench and for Danny and the boys to front up like that was outstanding.”
The Arms Park atmosphere also played its part, as Cardiff roared back from a 14-point deficit in the final 20 minutes to set up a dramatic finish.
“The crowd were brilliant, they always are,” Sheedy said. “When we really need them, they step up. When you’re chasing a win at the end and you can feel them right behind you, it makes you feel invincible.
“At 26-12 down, Aled Davies spoke really well and it flipped our mindset. It was about being positive and firing some shots. You could sense the change straight away. To come back like that shows what we’ve got in the squad. We always felt like we were in it.”
Looking ahead, Sheedy stressed the importance of staying grounded as attention turns to a derby clash with the Scarlets on Friday (December 19th, kick-off 7.45pm).
“It’s massive,” he added. “We’ve got to go week to week. Scarlets are playing some really good rugby and derbies are physical. Form and the league table go out the window – it’s about who’s best on the night – and we’re really looking forward to it.”
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