The days, the words, the faces blur in the build-up to a Test match as players seek to stay on-message. It’s a consensual stance based on exposure to group thinking.
One or two retain that individualism, that sense of humour or mischief to step forward from the massed ranks, while there are a couple of others who are thoughtful and offer fully formed responses to even the most mundane inquiry.
Iain Henderson belongs to the latter rugby caste; each question is given due consideration, and there isn’t a great deal of delving required to find points of interest. The 31-year-old got his first start of the campaign against Italy, having come off the bench in the victories over Wales and France.
Tadhg Beirne’s injury facilitated that promotion but it’s not as if Henderson is unfamiliar with matters of that nature. He missed last summer’s tour to New Zealand and the November Test series but returned in time for Ireland’s camp in Portugal in advance of the Six Nations, where he rediscovered that “growth mindset” that has underpinned the squad’s continued success and seen them climb to the top of the world rankings.
He explained: “Leading into those first two games, I can’t complain if I’m sitting behind Cheese (James Ryan) and Tadhg, two world-class players, and for me the focus was to prepare them as best as possible. Unfortunately for Tadhg it was the end of his tournament against France.
“I was genuinely gutted for him, but there lies an opportunity for someone to step in, and not only for me, but for someone like Ryan Baird to come on against Italy and make the impact he did. It’s good to see him progressing and him doing well.
“You have heard me talking about it before: this environment is a special place to be in. It’s enjoyable to be involved in a group of people who want the team who are on the pitch at any one time to do better.”
Henderson goes on to explain that there is huge competition for places, the outlook that the players bring is objective, championing the greater good. It’s the “no dickheads” philosophy, where the team wellbeing supersedes any individual concern. It doesn’t seem like a cuddly notion or aspirational when weighed against the performances.
Grant Gilchrist’s suspension following his sending-off against France deprives the Scotland pack of a leader with a hard edge, something that Henderson acknowledged while venturing what different attributes Jonny Gray will bring when called upon to fill the vacancy. Gregor Townsend will name his team on Friday.
“Grant Gilchrist looks like someone who adds a lot of tempo to their pack but along with a bit of aggression,” Henderson said. “In terms of lineout analysis, you can see the guys really looking to him, he drives that [aspect of the game].”
“Jonny Gray has been massive for them over the past number of years and it’s an opportunity to step up and really show ‘I can add to this Scottish team that is doing really well, I can be a part of this’. I am sure that is incredibly exciting for him. We realise he is going to be eager to prove that it is his shirt and not Grant Gilchrist’s.”
Scotland’s progression from a team capable of some stellar one-off performances to one that is more consistent in reproducing quality has been part of a maturation process over the past season and a half, with Finn Russell at the heart of many of those displays.
Henderson said: “I feel the [Scottish] pack has been getting on the front foot quite a lot. With Finn Russell in there and their centres, I feel like they’re getting wide-wide, then defences are getting slightly more fractured and that’s where you see someone who is as dangerous as Finn Russell [at his best].
“If he doesn’t get the first thing he wants, he often finds something immediately after. We’ve seen clips of him getting kicks charged down, regathering and getting another perfect kick in, [or] stepping back inside, finding a soft shoulder and throwing offloads.
“They’re playing with a confidence that grows as the game goes on, playing an exciting brand of rugby ... I think that will add to the atmosphere. They have a back three excited to get on the ball; they’re all hunting to make those line breaks off Russell, so that’s obviously we must be aware of and it’s an exciting challenge for us and up to us how we manage that.”
Henderson pointed out that Russell has an uncanny knack of exploiting faultlines in opposing defences. “We need to ensure to not give him those soft shoulders to let the offload away or put the kick in.
“It’s focusing on our stuff, getting it completely nailed on, be it the basics of our defence, communication, that sort of connection that hopefully shuts down a lot of those opportunities, and force him to try to do stuff he might not necessarily be hugely comfortable doing.
“Hopefully we bring the best version of ourselves. That will be what we are looking to do to ensure that we can try and get the result at the weekend.”
