HANDED HIS CHANCE in an Ireland XV that looked like a first-choice one, Iain Henderson grabbed it with both hands and those pumping legs of his.
Every analysis of this 50-7 victory over Canada must be tempered by the fact that Kieran Crowley’s side were very poor, but Henderson’s showing was once again abrasive, impactful and destructive.
Having ball carriers to finish from close range as the Ulsterman did in the first-half is vital, the 23-year-old bringing huge aggression and leg drive into every carry he made. We will wait for the official stats, but Henderson appeared to be the busiest carrier on the Ireland team.
Defensively, Henderson was equally as hungry, flinging himself into hits with glee. He might still sometimes look like he has woken from a longer-than-planned afternoon nap, but the second row is more alert than ever on the pitch.
Schmidt has demanded his exceptional youngster improve his work rate over the 80 minutes and Henderson has lived up to that demand willingly. Fitter than ever before, Henderson himself says, he is now providing more contributions in each passage of play.
Ireland have taken a huge pride in their set-piece work under Schmidt, with Devin Toner instrumental in their success at the scrum and, especially, the lineout. Henderson had to stand out in that regard too.
A 100% return rate on their own feed and throw suggests the Irish pack will be quietly satisfied with this outing. Henderson wasn’t busy as a lineout jumper, instead being asked to lift and shift on the ground, but his power in the scrum appeared to greatly aid the regular shunts in that area.
This was excellent all round from Henderson, keeping in mind the weakness of the opposition, but Toner won’t lie down without challenging hard for what he sees as his starting place alongside Paul O’Connell.
It may be that Toner is used as the starter for different games that require different game plans, and indeed that may be a reflection of this Ireland performance as a whole. Ireland were expansive and ambitious with ball in hand in Cardiff today, but that may not mean they will do the same against every opponent at this World Cup.
Schmidt is a man who values competition within his squad as highly as anything else. He has had that in the second row for some time now, and we haven’t even mentioned Donnacha Ryan yet.
But the latest outing from Iain Henderson shows that the lock is maturing into the player those who saw him shine at underage level expected him to be. Toner must make the next big play against Romania tomorrow week.
It’s a fascinating dilemma for Schmidt.
