Robbie Henshaw: ‘We’ll have to have homework done for Wales’

Robbie Henshaw is content to allow Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton glow in their respective lights. With Sexton's breathlessly improbable reclamation of his place as the most influential outhalf in the competition and Murray's similar declaration at scrumhalf, there is a temptation to cast the other Irish players as highly reputable agents but free from any claims of comparison.

Robbie Henshaw, part of the powerful axis between Murray, Sexton and Garry Ringrose, is as soft-spoken as he is seemingly unbreakable. It was the Irish centre who ran a line into the heart of the French defence and drew four players into a stoop of bodies right on the line.

From that scramble in Guy Noves’ defence Murray was able to pick and dive in for the only try of the match. The scrumhalf, perhaps Ireland’s least-replaceable player given the backup in the positions, rightly took the pats on the head from his team mates. But Henshaw’s body was the spent cartridge.

He also had a role to play for Sexton's drop goal. His angled run took play wide to the left before Simon Zebo and Jamie Heaslip sucked more weary French players across to leave room for the Irish outhalf to build a two-score lead.

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In those plays at least, his video analysis should be kind.

“I found that in the first half we got a bit out of shape at times. It was a bit frantic and we got out of our system,” says Henshaw. “In the second half, we cleaned it up well and we got some good space in behind.”

Senior partner

A junior rank to field marshal Sexton, with Ringrose on the other side Henshaw becomes the senior partner. It’s a relationship that has being growing since Jared Payne’s injury took him out of the centre role. Few can predict Schmidt’s thinking and whether that revolves around a centre or fullback role when the canny Payne returns from a kidney injury he sustained against Australia in November.

But the unit is in safe hands between the rookie Ringrose and the 23-year-old, who has already past the quarter century mark of Irish caps.

"Obviously I play with him at Leinster but the step up, you have less time on the ball at international level," says Henshaw. "We feel like we are growing. We are getting better and better. We are working our socks off both in attack and defence just to get on the ball and to put in big hits. Our workrates would be pretty high as well in trying to lead in defence and trying to get on the ball in attack. We're just growing and trying to get better and better.

“Just being able to understand each other’s actions without having to talk, that’s another area we are trying to improve on, being able to feed off each other. That’s another level again, but we are definitely improving and we’re getting more comfortable.”

‘Pure class’

“It’s brilliant,” he adds. “Kind of feel I’ve a bit more experience as I’ve been around a bit and with Garry coming in for the Irish shirt he has done exceptionally well. He is pure class. If I can give him something . . . if he wants to bounce things off me I’m there to answer. But I think we are working well as a unit. We are doing our analysis well. We train well during the week.”

From that Irish pairing to the halfbacks and the blooming of Murray, particularly over the six months, raises hopes for Wales under lights on a Friday night in Cardiff and then England in Dublin in what most hope will build to a title decider.

For that the omens seem promising. Sexton’s seamless return was eerily impressive. There was one early kick to touch that was too long but his looped run, drop goal and shaping of the match carried the authority of a gavel dropping on the bench.

“Connor and Johnny led that,” says Henshaw. “It’s great to have Johnny back and the two of them were singing off the same hymn sheet. There was no doubt that he’d (Sexton) always perform in green.

“He’s a great player, a great leader in our team. He stepped up pretty well in attack and defence . . . just a pivotal moment when he slotted the drop goal to put us two scores ahead. I think it’s great to have him back and it’s great to see him get through injury-free. It’s a great positive.”

Ireland is a line speed team, he says. Ireland defend smartly and are self aware. Injured Wales know it. There is talk now of backlash and wounded pride in the Millennium Stadium.

“We’ll have to have our homework done,” he says quietly. “And we’ll come out attacking them.”