Iain Henderson: I’m only getting started

He has been the breakthrough sensation on Joe Schmidt’s Ireland team this past two months or so, but Iain Henderson believes he is only ambling through the foothills of his potential as he prepares for the biggest game of his young life this weekend.

The Ulster lock-cum-flanker cut a confident, but far from cocky, figure at Ireland’s team base yesterday and it was encouraging to hear the polite and laid-back 23-year old talk himself — and Ireland — up in such a forthright manner ahead of the Pool D showdown with the French.

It wasn’t that he made any bold claims, but his confident air and no-filter answers were refreshing to the ear, starting with his admittance that being named man of the match against Italy last Sunday had injected a fresh supply of confidence into his system.