Match-winner Sheedy kicks doubters into touch

The pre-match spotlight might have been on Leigh Halfpenny's return to Cardiff colours for the first time in more than 11 years.

But it ended up being one of the kickers he now also mentors who grabbed the headlines with a last-gasp match-winning penalty against Ulster in the Challenge Cup.

Cardiff and Wales fly-half Callum Sheedy stepped up to slot over the kick that sealed a 29-26 win to send the Arms Park crowd home happy.

"It is nice with times like that when the hard work pays off," said Sheedy.

"I'm really pleased it went over. Those kicks come once a season or once every couple of seasons, so I'm chuffed."

The thirty-year-old added: "With a match-winning kick it focuses you even more and you go back to your process.

"It was actually the stillest night I've ever had at the Arms Park. Usually the wind's going everywhere, so someone's looking down on me."

It was all the more pleasing for Sheedy given his goal-kicking has come under scrutiny since his arrival at Cardiff from Bristol.

"I've been round long enough to know that people will jump on you when you miss a few kicks," said Sheedy.

"It's fine, it's part of the job, there's no problem at all. But I've also had plenty of kicks where they've been under pressure.

"I played 10 years in the Premiership, every kick's pretty big there.

"I missed a few kicks last year, I'll miss some more. But nights like tonight is what all the hard work's for, so I'm pleased it went over.

"I'm just glad we got the result. That kick was the icing on the cake."

Sheedy praised the scrummaging efforts of his forwards after they gained the set-piece penalty for the fly-half, as Cardiff came back from a 14-point deficit in the final 15 minutes.

"That scrum that won us the penalty was unbelievable," he added.

"To be fair to the boys to do it on [Ulster's] put-in was class."

Sheedy admits he would not have taken the kick if Halfpenny had still been on the field at the end, with the full-back replaced after 58 minutes in his first Cardiff game for 4,347 days.

"I would have had a great view of Leigh winning the game, which would have been just as special," Sheedy admitted.

Sheedy praised Halfpenny's influence since he arrived at Cardiff at the beginning of the season to take up a player-coach role with responsibility for kicking.

"I've worked hard with Leigh since he has come in," the Cardiff-born outside-half added.

"It's been unbelievable to be able to work alongside him. People pay a lot of money to go and watch Leigh kick and I get to do it as a job.

"I feel privileged to be able to learn from someone as unbelievable as him."

Sheedy says Halfpenny has not tried to change too much but has provided invaluable advice.

"He's very good," said Sheedy.

"I remember the first time we had a chat about kicking and he was saying he's not coming in to change me or how any of us kick, because we all have our different styles.

"It's if we wanted to lean on him in any way."

Sheedy was impressed by Halfpenny's expertise.

"What I found with Leigh is he could watch a kick and would know exactly what was right or wrong," he added.

"Something technical like when you're opening up too early or you're closing off with your kick.

"Something we wouldn't know, he's just got an eye for it. You can tell he's been top of the game for 17 years, even if you just look at what he does in the week.

"The visualisation he does and how professional he is with the preparation he does for each session.

"It's eye-opening for me and I'm 30. So someone younger will be taking so much from him."