Ulster Rugby v Benetton Rugby

breaks (14) and try assists (3) in the league – is enjoying his best season to date at Kingspan Stadium – and insists there’s more to come. “Once you get a bit of game time you go from strength to strength,” he explains. “I’m getting to play consistently now, and although I haven’t scored in a few weeks, I had a good strike rate at the start of the season, and it’s something I’ve been working on this year with (Assistant Coach) Dwayne Peel.” Shanahan’s statistics are all the more remarkable given he is not consistently first-choice in his position, although with 725 minutes of game time amassed to date this term, it’s clear he is making the most of every opportunity – even several last-minute call-ups. “When I was younger, I’d play 20 minutes off the bench, and then if you didn’t rip it up, you might not play again for ages. But now, you can go out and try things and it’s fine if you make a mistake, because you can back it up with something good after. “This season, there have been three games where I’ve come on after 20 minutes because John Cooney has had to go off. Then for the two Racing games I wasn’t named but came in late so I have to be ready at all times now. So I prepare as if I’m going to start even if I’m on the bench.” The secret, he says, behind his prolific scoring rate – second only to Jacob Stockdale with PRO14 and Heineken Champions Cup records combined – is staying alert at all times.

“The important thing is just not switching off,” he reveals. “When you have guys like Will Addison, Stu (McCloskey) and (Darren) Cave, you always expect them to make a line break, so you just get up on their shoulder, and I’ve been lucky enough with a few tries like that.” With Cooney, his main rival for the number nine shirt, very much in Joe Schmidt’s Six Nations plans, the 25-year-old Dubliner will be pivotal in the five upcoming PRO14 clashes before the European quarter-final at Leinster at the end of March. “We’re under no illusion about how important this next block of games is,” he maintains. “If you look at the table we’re fifth, but only two points off second place and Benetton, who we’re playing this weekend. “So this week is seriously important for staying up there. We didn’t play our best against Leicester or in the last two PRO14 games before the European games, so when the Irish guys are away it’s important for the other guys to stand up and not let the standard drop.” Fixtures away to Ospreys and Dragons, and at home to Zebre and the Southern Kings await, but Shanahan will be taking nothing for granted against tonight’s opposition. He concludes, “We went out there a few months ago and I reckon it’s one of the toughest games we’ve had this year in terms of physicality. They’re a big side that holds the ball for long periods of time, so we’re going to have to play our brand of rugby and move the ball about well.”

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