HAVING EARNED PLENTY of plaudits around the rugby world over the past year or so, it’s only right that Robbie Henshaw gets acknowledgment at home too.
The 28-year-old has been named Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Men’s Player of The Year following his superb form in the 2020/21 season.
Henshaw was a dominant figure in Ireland’s midfield during the 2021 Six Nations, while he was one of the Lions’ best players in their series against the Springboks last summer.
At provincial level, the centre helped Leinster to continue their dominance of Irish rugby as they won another Pro14 title.
The Athlone man missed Ireland’s November wins over Japan and New Zealand through injury but returned to the number 12 shirt in the victory over Argentina, helping to tee Andy Farrell’s side up for a good rattle at the 2022 Six Nations.
Henshaw says he feels privileged to pick up the Player of the Year award but he is eyeing bigger and better things in the months ahead.
“Off the back of a really successful November, we’ll definitely be up there near favourites for the Six Nations,” says Henshaw.
“We’ll have to hit the ground running and it’s a tough first game against Wales [ on 5 February in Dublin]. It’s France the week after so we definitely have a challenge ahead of us but I suppose we have to try and kick on and deal with that pressure that’s going to be applied to us.
“We’ll have huge confidence going into this competition off the back of a good summer series and then a really good November series, so there’s huge confidence within the group and it’s probably just a taste of where we’re going in the squad and the question is, where we can we get to in terms of the next level.
“It’s really exciting times but first and foremost we have to hit the ground running in that first game.”
While there has been lots of focus on Ireland’s improved attack last November, Henshaw cited the Irish defence as a key factor in those victories against Japan, the All Blacks, and the Pumas.
Henshaw has achieved plenty in his career so far including being part of a Grand Slam campaign, winning another Six Nations title, helping Leinster to a Champions Cup and their multiple Pro14/URC trophies, as well as touring with the Lions twice, the second of them as a Test starter.
He has been to World Cups with Ireland in 2015 and 2019 too but has yet to come away content. Farrell’s side have spoken openly about the next tournament in France in 2023 as being prominent in their thoughts and planning, meaning the upcoming Six Nations is another key part of the prep.
“We have to go in with a mentality that it’s like knock-out rugby, that’s going to be in our minds,” explains Henshaw, “similar to a World Cup when you get out of your pool and it’s knock-out rugby.
“I think that will be in our minds, that we’re building towards a World Cup.
“We haven’t been shy to say it, that that’s our goal over the next two years – to build and grow the squad to get everyone ready for what lies ahead.”
Before all of that, Henshaw needs to get back up and running with Leinster. He hasn’t played a game of rugby since 3 December due to the Covid outbreak within the eastern province’s squad, so he is raring to go.
Leinster have used the past few weeks as a “pre-season window,” explains Henshaw, with plenty of contact in training to ensure players are ready for games.
They’re hopeful the return to action will be this Sunday when Montpellier – who had their own Covid outbreak last week – are set to visit the RDS.
Leo Cullen’s men might have to shake off some rust early on, but Henshaw says they’re determined to hit the ground running.
“It has been mixed,” says Henshaw of Leinster’s season so far. “There’s definitely another level in us.
“Having said that, we’ve had really good moments in games, it’s probably just about having that 90 to 100% performance that we can look at and say, ‘This is the level.’
“There’s been great results for us but within the squad we know there’s more in the tank and we can definitely get more out of our performances. It will be a challenge coming up against a big Montpellier side who I think are playing really good rugby at the moment. They’re in the top four in the Top 14.
“We’re building and we’ve trained hard so hopefully this weekend shows the work we’ve done and we can hit the level that we want.”
Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland winners:
Men’s Player of The Year: Robbie Henshaw
Women’s Player of the Year: Béibhinn Parsons
7’s Player of the Year: Terry Kennedy
Dave Guiney Team of the Year: Leinster
Club of the Year: Railway Union RFC
Hall of Fame: Claire Molloy and Simon Geoghegan
Tom Rooney Award: Billy Holland.
