IT WAS A collective impact from the Irish bench against the Springboks two weekends ago, but there’s no doubt that Iain Henderson stood out a little more than most.
He came on with 27 minutes left and his experience and composure were obvious in what could have been a fraught period for Ireland. As the pressure mounted, Henderson seemed to be nice and calm.
Having taken over the captaincy when Johnny Sexton went off with eight minutes left, Henderson’s voice was important.
With five minutes remaining, he gathered the team into a huddle. They took a long, deep breath and then Henderson spoke. The message seemed to be that it was time to finish the job. Ireland won a penalty in the next play and Jack Crowley kicked them 13-8 ahead.
While Henderson was pinged for a penalty in the endgame, with the Boks kicking into the corner for one last maul chance, the big second row was crucial in stopping it only metres from the Irish tryline.
And whatever about his leadership, Henderson’s impact as a player was superb for Ireland. It was his kick chase and counter-ruck that allowed them to turn the Boks over in their 22 just after Caelan Doris had led something similar further out the pitch.
There were a couple of punchy carries and tackles too as Henderson showed the dynamism that has been evident in recent months after he completed an injury-free pre-season.
Henderson also took over lineout calling duties from James Ryan when he replaced him and Ireland were three out of three while the former was on the pitch. He combined well with replacement hooker Dan Sheehan and this is undoubtedly a key point.
It’s of some comfort for the Irish lineout that Henderson and Sheehan both come into the starting lineup for Saturday’s final World Cup Pool B clash with Scotland. While it must be recognised that opposition teams are doing a good job in defence, Ireland’s lineout hasn’t been at the level they demand of themselves for a while now.
Henderson will be leading the lineouts this time and he’ll be determined to make smart calls against the Scots, while Sheehan will want to find his best throwing rhythm.
It’s of great assurance that Ireland can call on Henderson for this vital game. With 77 Test caps, he has seen plenty. He has the scars of tough times, including many injuries, but he remains a world-class second row and he’s still only 31.
The injuries and subsequent challenges to get back up to top speed have frustrated some Irish fans at times but Henderson has always had the faith of the Ireland coaches, across more than one era. He’s been on two Lions tours and is unlucky not to have won a Test cap, particularly in 2021.
Ryan moves to the bench for this weekend’s clash, having had an injury-disrupted fortnight since the South Africa game due to his hand injury. That said, Ireland reported he was back training fully on Tuesday and he’s fit enough to be included on the bench. That means that Ryan is viewed as ready to play 79 minutes on Saturday if there’s an injury in the opening exchanges. If there was any doubt about Ryan’s fitness, he simply wouldn’t be in the matchday 23.
So whatever about Ryan’s fitness, there’s no doubt Henderson is thoroughly deserving of this start. He has been in strong form right from the start of the warm-up games. Indeed, he captained Ireland in their first friendly game against Italy and was physically outstanding. He was skipper again for the Samoa game, although it was a less impressive collective performance.
Henderson had 25 minutes off the bench in the World Cup opener against Romania, with half an hour in the victory against Tonga. And his biggest impact came as Ireland beat the Boks.
The other change to the Ireland team for this weekend is Sheehan’s return as the starting hooker, having made his comeback from injury against the South Africans. It’s a huge boost to have him back up to speed for these crucial Pool B clashes and he had more than earned his status as first-choice hooker before the injury.
Sheehan will hope to show all of his explosive power against the Scots.
As for the Irish bench, the introduction of Jack Conan is no surprise. He has overcome his foot injury and it’s worth remembering how influential he has been on big occasions as part of Ireland’s frontline matchday 23 in the last two seasons.
If Conan can get up to speed quickly, he can add a dynamic edge as they look to seal their quarter-final place.
With Robbie Henshaw ruled out due to his hamstring injury, there was a big call to make in the number 23 shirt and Andy Farrell has opted for Stuart McCloskey, continuing the trend of naming a centre in that position.
Farrell could have gone for the versatile Jimmy O’Brien or experienced wing Keith Earls, but the Irish boss seems to like having midfield power to call on. McCloskey deserves his World Cup debut, having enjoyed a superb campaign with Ireland last season. He’s had to be patient, but he will relish the chance to bring energy against the Scots in Paris.