Numbers add up as Iain Henderson makes light work of stats

Stats have been tarred as the ruination of many a sport, an infestation of numbers that detracts from natural ability and curbs freedom of thought, but Iain Henderson was never likely to be the type to feel swamped by facts and figures.

The Ulster forward was, famously, about to move to Edinburgh to pursue a maths degree when the province’s defence coach Johnny Bell rang with a late counter-offer of a place in the academy in 2010 but the Craigavon man didn’t ditch the original plan when he tore up the plane ticket.

Henderson subsequently signed up to study maths at Queen’s in Belfast and a switch to the Open University since has allowed him pursue that piece of parchment at a pace of his own choosing.