BEFORE WE GO any further, there’s one thing we needed to clear up with Robbie Henshaw.
What’s the story with the scrum-cap against England?
James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
It’s not an unusual thing to see on a rugby field, but it’s a matter of choice and comfort for each individual. And until 18 March, Henshaw fell into the camp who preferred to feel the cool breeze and hot breath in their hair.
“It’s only temporary,” the centre reassures. A cut and some cauliflowering made the headgear a prudent choice in the final match of the Championship, but he’ll shake it off soon enough.
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Far more important is what’s going on inside his head as the Aviva Premiership leaders approach. Henshaw is well-warned of the threat Wasps will pose in attack, but he sounds confident when outlining where the English club might be picked off.
“They score a lot of tries, but they leak a little bit. We’ll have a look at exploiting that,” Henshaw says.
“There will be opportunities for us. It’s going to be a great game, can’t wait for it.”
As senior coach Stuart Lancaster had pointed out, Saturday’s clash will pit two prolific try-scoring units against each other. The defensive leader in midfield, Henshaw’s physicality and energy will be key to dulling the sting of the visitors.
In attack they have so many threats in their ball players out wide. Cipriani, Gopperth… they really can play an attractive style of rugby in their attack. We need to be switched on in defence, we need to be on our toes and shut them down early.
“We need to have a good start in defence. We can’t give them time or space on the ball, that’s the main thing. So line-speed will be a big factor. It’s about adjusting and getting that right. We can’t go off like headless chickens or else they will punish us. So we need to be smart about how we apply pressure.”
Attitude won’t a be a problem for the Athlone man. There’s a real excitement in his eyes as he talks about the ‘buzz’ around Leinster’s UCD base. After all, this is his first European Cup quarter-final. With 47,000 tickets already sold – the remainder are available from Leinster’s site - for what he expects to be a ‘belter’ of a knock-out fixture, it’s clear that this is exactly the kind of occasion Henshaw crossed the Shannon for.
“These are the games you want to be involved in and just enjoy it as it goes on. Just make sure it doesn’t slip by. For me, personally, it’s my first quarter-final in the Champions Cup. It’s massive excitement, there’s a massive buzz around the place. You can feel that energy walking in this morning. It’s going to be a belter of a game.
“I am eager, but I can’t jump too far ahead of myself. I want to do my best for the team at the weekend. We need to stick to our process and what we train on during the week.”
Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
That training and the transition back to Leinster after two months in the international headspace will be made easier by the block of Leinster players that will move wholesale from green to blue this weekend. Henshaw’s partnership with Garry Ringrose has been steadily growing more cohesive as this season has worn on, and with Jonathan Sexton back fit since the win over France, Leo Cullen can rely on at least the 10-12-13 axis being a well-oiled machine.
“Hopefully we’ll can give the squad a good boost. As a trio I think we worked well through the Six Nations and we got better as the games went on. Looking forward to bringing that on again and back into blue.”
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Henshaw eager to 'exploit' Wasps defence as he prepares for quarter-final bow
BEFORE WE GO any further, there’s one thing we needed to clear up with Robbie Henshaw.
What’s the story with the scrum-cap against England?
It’s not an unusual thing to see on a rugby field, but it’s a matter of choice and comfort for each individual. And until 18 March, Henshaw fell into the camp who preferred to feel the cool breeze and hot breath in their hair.
“It’s only temporary,” the centre reassures. A cut and some cauliflowering made the headgear a prudent choice in the final match of the Championship, but he’ll shake it off soon enough.
Far more important is what’s going on inside his head as the Aviva Premiership leaders approach. Henshaw is well-warned of the threat Wasps will pose in attack, but he sounds confident when outlining where the English club might be picked off.
“They score a lot of tries, but they leak a little bit. We’ll have a look at exploiting that,” Henshaw says.
“There will be opportunities for us. It’s going to be a great game, can’t wait for it.”
As senior coach Stuart Lancaster had pointed out, Saturday’s clash will pit two prolific try-scoring units against each other. The defensive leader in midfield, Henshaw’s physicality and energy will be key to dulling the sting of the visitors.
“We need to have a good start in defence. We can’t give them time or space on the ball, that’s the main thing. So line-speed will be a big factor. It’s about adjusting and getting that right. We can’t go off like headless chickens or else they will punish us. So we need to be smart about how we apply pressure.”
Attitude won’t a be a problem for the Athlone man. There’s a real excitement in his eyes as he talks about the ‘buzz’ around Leinster’s UCD base. After all, this is his first European Cup quarter-final. With 47,000 tickets already sold – the remainder are available from Leinster’s site - for what he expects to be a ‘belter’ of a knock-out fixture, it’s clear that this is exactly the kind of occasion Henshaw crossed the Shannon for.
“These are the games you want to be involved in and just enjoy it as it goes on. Just make sure it doesn’t slip by. For me, personally, it’s my first quarter-final in the Champions Cup. It’s massive excitement, there’s a massive buzz around the place. You can feel that energy walking in this morning. It’s going to be a belter of a game.
“I am eager, but I can’t jump too far ahead of myself. I want to do my best for the team at the weekend. We need to stick to our process and what we train on during the week.”
That training and the transition back to Leinster after two months in the international headspace will be made easier by the block of Leinster players that will move wholesale from green to blue this weekend. Henshaw’s partnership with Garry Ringrose has been steadily growing more cohesive as this season has worn on, and with Jonathan Sexton back fit since the win over France, Leo Cullen can rely on at least the 10-12-13 axis being a well-oiled machine.
“Hopefully we’ll can give the squad a good boost. As a trio I think we worked well through the Six Nations and we got better as the games went on. Looking forward to bringing that on again and back into blue.”
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
Munster’s Champions Cup SF will be in the Aviva or Murrayfield if they get through
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Champions Cup midfield general robbie henshaw Wasps