IT WAS FAR from the best Irish performance we’ve seen and there were some hairy moments as Andy Farrell’s side escaped with a win against Samoa last night, but their sense is that it was a worthwhile exercise that leaves them better prepared for the World Cup.
That’s the whole idea of these warm-up games, which are a necessary evil. Ireland would have preferred a more convincing send-off before their World Cup campaign starts in two weekends’ time.
“Mostly disappointment,” was how Henderson put it when asked how the Irish players felt about their performance in a 17-13 win over the Samoans.
“Obviously there’s a few silver linings in there but we didn’t complete our game plan the way we wanted to, but at the same time we were happy to get the win.”
Henderson felt the lessons from this game will be pertinent when it comes to the start of Ireland’s Pool B schedule. Farrell’s men face minnows Romania first up and then meet Tonga in their second game.
“For me and a handful of forwards, the importance of the set-piece,” said Henderson of those lessons. “We need to make sure we have that firing for our game plan to work well.
“The physicality side of things, a good couple of times I think we fronted up well but probably we can be better on that side of things.
“And again, not to take these ‘Tier 2′ or lesser sides lightly in the pools, they have to be taken seriously. They have threats from all over, we know Tonga will be the same as those guys.
“A different team to those that played in other World Cups, they’re excited and proud to be playing for their country in potentially their first World Cup.
“From a spectator point of view, I think those teams will be thoroughly exciting to watch and all the teams that play them will have to have their wits about them.”
Farrell will officially name his final 33-man squad for the World Cup later today, having told the players whether they were in or out in the 24 hours before the Samoa game.
It must have been a strange scenario playing so soon after good or bad news, but Henderson didn’t see the squad selection as a factor in the inaccurate Irish performance.
“No, and if it did it’s probably one of the adversities that Faz would like us to be tested by,” said the Ulster lock.
“That’s not the most difficult thing we’re going to face over the next number of weeks.
“The group of guys that we have, and we’ve talked about this before as a coaching staff and squad, it’s an incredibly strong group of guys and the guys who’ve been waiting to find out their fate have probably carried themselves as well as you could have expected them to throughout training.
“The guys who are nervous about selection, who might be carrying that anxiety have trained well. Everyone’s been on time, been as diligent as possible throughout the reviews, staying on top of stuff.
“It’s been a well-prepped Test week for us, so hats off to those guys who’ve been prepping so well.
“I think it’s not that side of things that affected us today, it was a handful of other things like conditions, probably great pressure brought by Samoa.”
On the positive side of the Irish display, Henderson was happy with how they managed territory, some of their lineout defence, a few passages of attack when they got a little flow, how they turned around the scrum battle, and how they won the second half.
But it all came with a worrying injury toll. While Jimmy O’Brien, Robbie Henshaw, Jacob Stockdale, and Keith Earls should all be fine, Cian Healy was forced off with a serious-looking injury in the first half.
He will have a scan today to determine whether he can play in the World Cup.
“I’ve felt it a handful of times this campaign, it’s worse when it’s a team-mate but even watching other guys from other nations who are looking to play at a World Cup, whether it’s their first, second or third, pick up an injury it’s not nice,” said Henderson.
“It’s a crescendo of hard work over four years and to see that pulled away from someone in the dying minutes of that four-year cycle is not nice.
“Again, it’s the game we’ve all signed up to and, again, that’s the reason what we do is so special, it means so much to us because it’s so fragile sometimes.”