Rejuvenated Chris Henry looks to get World Cup dream back on track

Chris Henry insists he is back to his best and ready to prove he is worthy of a World Cup place, as Ulster attempt to effectively end Leinster’s season on Friday night.

After Sunday’s extra-time heartbreak defeat by Toulon, Leinster have little time to try to salvage something from their season, and are currently 10 points adrift of third-placed Ulster with three games remaining.

Back-row Henry is not short of reasons to want to finish the season on a high with Ulster. When he was diagnosed last November with a blocked blood vessel in his brain which required heart surgery, the 30-year-old admits there was a four- to six-week period when he thought his rugby career was over.

Yet, a smooth and speedy recovery has enabled him to mark a surprisingly early return and now he’s on a mission to prove to the doubters that he will be fit enough to go to the World Cup in September.

“A lot of people thought I either wasn’t going to be back at all, or wasn’t going to be back for the World Cup, so maybe I do feel like deep down I have to show people that I’m back to my best.

“I certainly feel like I am and there is so much at stake, both for Ulster and with the World Cup coming up.

“Physically, I’m probably in the best shape I’ve been in for a long time. I’ve worked hard in the gym and my confidence is pretty high at the moment.”

Henry says he was “ridiculously nervous” ahead of his cameo comeback appearance against Cardiff but was relieved to get over that hurdle, and complete a full 80 minutes against Connacht the following week.

Friday’s inter-pro showdown at Kingspan Stadium is when he knows his performance will be scrutinised like never before.

“I’ve had reassurances from the surgeons that nothing is going to happen and the fact they signed me off and said ‘get back out there’ in a reasonably short space of time has left me feeling confident.

“I hadn’t done much contact before the Connacht game and I just wanted to get on there and not let anyone down.

“By the end of it, I thought I was making better reads at the breakdown and not chasing lost causes.

“The Irish coaches will be watching on Friday night and now it’s time to ramp things up, because we have the chance to do something very special here.”