With not really a huge amount to do in Bloemfontein when stepping away from training or playing, Harry Sheridan knuckled down for some extra work with laptops being widely deployed back in the hotel for next level analysis.
There was even the distraction of some overlap with Ulster playing in South Africa and though the province’s experience was decidedly different as they lost both their games at altitude, Sheridan and his fellow Emerging Ireland teammates could only look on enviously as Richie Murphy’s squad at least got to spend the chunk of seven days in Cape Town before heading back up to higher climbs for that fairly forgettable date with the Bulls.
But then Sheridan et al were there on a very different beat. Their experience was meant to be a much more intensive process; to be closely observed by Simon Easterby, to be worked hard in a testing environment, to gel and compete to potentially show that some might take the next step up and, of course, win all three games against the Pumas, Western Force and Cheetahs which was duly achieved.
“In Bloemfontein we didn’t get out and about much,” the recently turned 23-year-old, who can play lock or back-row, admitted with his only game time so far for Ulster this season, prior to featuring tonight against the Ospreys, actually being on his birthday in the narrow opening victory over Glasgow.
“We were all in the team hotel and it was quite intimate in that way, and they (management) were able to run ideas off people and we were on the laptops quite a lot doing our analysis day in, day out so you were able to have those conversations quite freely.
“Whereas you come in here, do your analysis and at the end of the day go home, have tea and come back in early the next morning.
“There, you were round each other all the time so you have those conversations all the time, run them off informally and stuff and that’s one thing about camp I suppose I’ll miss coming back here.”
Ulster were, of course, doing something similar on their mini tour when spending all that extra time together, though for Sheridan and his five other club mates from Belfast — Cormac Izuchukwu, Scott Wilson, Zac Ward, Jude Postlethwaite and Jack Murphy — the dynamic with Easterby around was entirely different.
“Obviously, Izzy (Cormac Izuchukwu) and James Culhane and Chay Mullins are two-time tourists and had a little bit of an idea,” he said of the trio who had been on the first Emerging Ireland visit to Bloemfontein in 2022. “But it’s a massive shock for anyone going in there.
“There is massive expectation from day one to come in and have all your stuff cleared off and all your detail and stuff like that.
“It is competitive, ultra-competitive within that squad of 30 or so players and the match day squad’s training is full whack and you’re trying to get picked ahead of your opposite number.
“The level of detail and responsibility is on each player to be around the roles and (even) learn the roles that you’re not meant to be covering.
“Second-row, back-row, for me there is a lot of variety there so you need to make sure you’re on top of it and within that the level of analysis we were doing, we’ve got so much opportunity over there to run ideas off each other so you’re expected to have those conversations.
“It’s a given that you’re doing that, it’s not a bonus.
“The level of expectation is there, and I did my best to try and deliver on that.”
Harry Sheridan in action for Emerging Ireland
He featured in the opening game against the Pumas and the tour’s final outing with the Cheetahs, the former at lock, the latter flanker.
He and Izuchukwu played together when the Pumas provided the opposition and the pair who cover the same positions are clearly seen as having bright futures at Ulster.
“We (he and Izzy) ended up playing together for the first game which was class.
“No matter what jersey we’re wearing, playing together is always a good experience and actually it was the same with everyone when I was over there to be honest, I really enjoyed it.”
Being in Bloemfontein and facing the Cheetahs meant there had to be an opportunity to meet a certain Ruan Pienaar who is now in a coaching role at the club’s academy since retiring last season.
And it just didn’t disappoint, especially for Sheridan who had grown up watching the Springbok legend do his thing in BT6.
“It’s the first time I’ve met him face to face.
“From a seat over there,” Sheridan said, nodding out of the window at Ravenhill, “I watched all the games he was playing in and I remember him coming (to Ulster) and I also remember him going.
“He came to our (Emerging Ireland’s) captain’s run, and he knew who all the Ulster boys were even before we walked up and introduced ourselves and got a photo with all of us.
“That was the first time and when we went back to play the Cheetahs the last day on the Wednesday, we were chatting to him in the changing room afterwards and had a beer.
“He was asking about home and how things are getting on and how Richie is and everything and we were obviously telling him all good things.
“And like any good Ulstermen we were trying to get him back but he’s there (in Bloemfontein) for now anyway.
“He said he would come back in an instant, so I’ll hold him to it,” he laughed.
In the meantime, Sheridan has still got a degree course to finish at Trinity College Dublin and is in his final year of Management Science and Information Systems, a qualification which required him to work in the evenings last year when he was in South Africa but with Ulster.
He and Scott Wilson both had to put in the extra hours after training for coursework, the latter finishing off his qualification at Stranmillis College.
“We were both studying when in South Africa and I had to get my thesis submitted,” he said, grimacing at the memory.
“I’ve done the majority of my final year now, but I’ve still got 20 more credits down in Trinity.
“I can’t wait to see the back end of it now to be honest, I’m very done with tertiary education,” he admitted with the finish line looming next May.
As for matters Ulster, he is positively itching for action, starting with Friday evening against the Ospreys.
As he explained: “I’ve got fire in the belly coming out of the Emerging Ireland camp.
“It was great to get away on that tour for three matches but obviously there is a consequence that you are missing three Ulster games.
“Now I’m wishing this block was a wee bit longer as there are only two more games and then we’re off.
“I’d like to fire into this full metal jacket and hopefully we come out with the victory.”
Kick-off can’t come soon enough.