Henderson a student of Best but ‘not expecting’ to be named new Ulster captain
IT’S EASY TO forget that when he burst onto the scene as a fresh-faced 20-year-old, Iain Henderson was a fairly shy and unassuming character.
As hard as that is to believe given his imposing frame and destructive manner any time you hand him a rugby ball, the transformation in Henderson has been one that has seen him turn from baby-faced assassin into a leader of men.
No longer is he that up-and-coming future Lion that everyone expected him to be as he rose through the ranks at both schools and Academy level, and no longer is he that awkward lock/back-row hybrid that always seemed to be pushed and pulled where he was needed most rather than allowed to settle into one position and flourish.
Now he is Ulster’s commanding presence in the second row, standing head and shoulders above the opposition and casting fear into those who watch him rampaging towards them, knowing he’s just as likely to careen over the top of them as he is to use his strength to bounce and spin around them.
But even off the pitch, his demeanour has visibly changed from that kid making his way in the professional ranks into a confident speaker who shoulders a fair bit of the burden that comes with the leadership of a squad such as Ulster’s.
Hamish Watson and Ross Ford tackle Iain Henderson during Ulster’s win at Edinburgh in the Pro14. Source: Craig Watson/INPHO
It hasn’t happened overnight, nor has it been a simple process. Then again, he has been learning from one of the most natural leaders that Irish rugby has ever seen, which is sure to be of some benefit at least.
“I’m certain a lot of the players looked at me when I came in as a lanky kid who didn’t have a clue what I was doing,” Henderson laughs as he relaxes into the media suite at Kingspan Stadium, another change since his ascent to the pro ranks.
“Right from the very start when I joined, Rory was an incredibly influential player. Not just for me, but for everyone in the squad, and I think it is one of his best aspects of him being a player and a captain is how much influence he has over not just other hookers, not just the pack but throughout the whole team.
“Starters, non-starters, the respect that he commands and that is not unearned respect. That’s because everyone understands that the player in his position and the captain he is because of what he does on the field and off the field.
“People pick up and understand that’s why he is so good and that’s why he has had the longevity he has, and continues to play top-level rugby.
“In terms of Ulster Rugby, he kind of has been Ulster Rugby for the last 10 years or more. Since I have come in, it has been Rory Best as the key player.”
Henderson speaking at Ulster’s press conference earlier this week. Source: Declan Roughan/INPHO
That’s all going to change, of course. Today will be Best’s swansong as an Ulsterman in Belfast, signing off at Kingspan Stadium one last time in their Guinness Pro14 quarter-final against Connacht. Come next season, there will be a new man at the helm.
Speaking of that…
“I don’t know if I am going to be captain, that’s God’s honest truth,” Henderson quickly asserts.
He’s seen as the natural successor to Mr. Ulster Rugby as the next man off the conveyor belt since, and he appears to have been groomed for the role ever since he made his debut down at the Galway Sportsground back in April 2012.
By now he also commands a considerable amount of respect in the changing room for both his abrasive, unrelenting style of play and his ability to control the opinions of those wearing white (or even green) around him. He’s been learning off Best, so who better to slot in when the man himself rides off into well-earned retirement?
“There are so many leaders, so many strong characters in the squad,” adds the lock. “People making good, well-thought-out decisions on the pitch under a fair bit of pressure.
“The fact that I said that before, when I have captained, it is beneficial to our squad that we have leaders. It goes to show that there are a fair number of candidates that could be captain outside of the ones I mentioned.”
That, in many ways, is a natural segue into what has undoubtedly been a rapid turnaround for Ulster from this time 12 months ago. Turmoil has turned to triumph. Anguish has turned to adulation. A play-off for a Champions Cup place has turned into a play-off for a semi-final place.
No doubt that the multitude of leaders within the squad, as mentioned by Henderson, have played their part and then some, drawing together a group of players that, while not fractured, were rudderless and slowly drifting towards the rocky shore at an alarming rate.
It was expected to be a long process under Dan McFarland to get back to their former glories. While nobody was willing to admit it, the goal was never silverware, it was getting back to a position where they wouldn’t have to rely on a one-off shoot-out simply to take their place at the highest level of European rugby again.
Henderson is presented with the man of the match award at Murrayfield. Source: Craig Watson/INPHO
By standing here this weekend with a quarter-final to play, they eclipsed that aim, and you’d find few willing to correct you if you said they’d surpassed all expectations in Europe by making the quarter-finals there too, and then pushing Leinster right to the brink in that quarter-final for good measure.
When it’s all said and done, no matter how this weekend goes, this has been a good season for Ulster.
“Last season, people I’m sure would argue, is the worst season Ulster have had in however many years, but had we not lost to Wasps and to Edinburgh at home we’d have been in the same scenario as we were this season. You think of the seasons as chalk and cheese but the margins between them are fine,” Henderson points out, however.
Then again, the mood around the Kingspan Stadium has completely changed.
“We weren’t as far away as people thought we were but we’ve come on leaps and bounds since then,” he continues. “That’s something that’s been down to a number of factors, players, coaches, restructuring of training, that’s been the most influential things I think.
“It’s very interesting to see the difference in games and the difference that we’ve had in training. Yes, I’m sure there’s a correlation but it’s hard to say if it’s a direct one. Training has changed, the profile of the squad has changed and that’s increased the standard, increased the demands for standards to be set.
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