WATCH: Fit-again Robbie Henshaw being kept for bigger tests

Ireland boss Joe Schmidt is backing Robbie Henshaw to accept that sitting out a second World Cup pool game this weekend is in the best interests of himself and the campaign.

Schmidt omitted the Connacht centre for the second week in a row yesterday as he gave a first start of the Pool D campaign to Ulster’s Darren Cave for Sunday’s Wembley Stadium clash with Romania.

A tight hamstring had forced Henshaw, 22, out of the matchday squad for the opening victory over Canada in Cardiff last Saturday, when Luke Fitzgerald deputised and while head coach Schmidt said he would have been fit to face the Romanians he explained it was prudent to hold him back for a further week, just as was the case for Iain Henderson, Peter O’Mahony and Johnny Sexton.