Sheahan is competing with Rory Best to become Ireland's second-choice hooker behind Jerry Flannery. A neck injury saw his Test career grind to a halt in 2005-06, and his absence gave Munster team-mate Flannery the chance to shine. Sheahan now trails his rival at provincial and Test level, but with Flannery enduring his own injury problems, he has been given a chance to add to his caps. Appeared as a replacement against South Africa and Australia in the autumn internationals, but won a start against the Pacific Islanders.