The have played together five times for Leinster and have yet to share the pitch in an Irish jersey. Still, you just know these two men are going to be causing havoc together for years to come.
Ahead of the 2016/17 season, Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose were at Tallaght Stadium to launch Leinster’s luminous away jersey. Henshaw was still recovering from a knee injury sustained in South Africa and would have to wait to play alongside Ringrose.
“[My advice] I suppose, is block out the outside sources and comments and keep to his game and just keep his head down,” said Henshaw. “Keep doing what the coaches ask him, and keep listening to the older players. Keep listening to his captain Isa Nacewa.”
There are 18 months between the men but Henshaw was very much the wiser head – been there and done most of that.
It was early October before Leo Cullen could finally pair Henshaw and Ringrose in midfield. They played the full 80 in a comfortable 25-14 victory over Munster that got us all het up.
By early November, with Luke Marshall injured and Jared Payne a fullback option, there were vociferous calls for Joe Schmidt to play the Leinster duo together against the All Blacks. Schmidt went with Payne at 13 and Henshaw, inside him, had one of the best games of his career.
The Athlone native was concussed early in that return match with the All Blacks and, nowhere near planned, Ringrose played No.12 for the first time ever against the world champions. He had a fine game and was rewarded with a start in the same role when Australia came to town. The 21-year-old paid his coach right back with a scintillating performance and a delightful try that utterly flummoxed the Aussies.
With Payne now out with a kidney complaint, it seems only logical that we start the Six Nations with two young men that are still getting to know each other.
How did it come to this? Brian O’Driscoll knows and he has been raving about both players for a long time [even before these tweets].
@denofthelion @Ringrose_G that's only 2 months ago. Some of us have known for years…
— Brian O'Driscoll (@BrianODriscoll) December 27, 2015
Contrary to some belief I thought the centres went really well today. Henshaw is the real deal.
— Brian O'Driscoll (@BrianODriscoll) February 7, 2015
We caught up with O’Driscoll ahead of this Saturday’s Champions Cup pool clash between Leinster and Northampton Saints at the Aviva Stadium. Given that both players were flagged as Irish centres in their late teens, we asked how a young player can get that tag. O’Driscoll says:
“It is specific to the individual. With Robbie, he clearly had a lot of footballing ability. You could see that in him playing fullback then, predominantly, at 13.
“Now has become the perfect current game No.12. He carries the ball extremely aggressively, he is incredibly physical in the collision when he has it but also when he doesn’t have it, I think he has a really nasty edge to him that you need to survive and to eat at the top table.”
“Slightly conversely,” O’Driscoll continues, “Garry has some beautiful subtlety to his game.
“I think his offloading is top class. He’s got great feet, he’s fast, a very, very proficient tackler who doesn’t miss many hits. They are just going to compliment each other as the years go on. Hopefully they will avoid any serious injuries.
“The future certainly looks bright when you are looking at them in the 12 and 13 jerseys.
“With Jared now looking as if he is going to miss the start of the championship, it absolutely looks like it off the back of the Australia performance. It makes sense that the two boys are going to be playing together provincially. Provided they keep up their current form, they should be the perfect fit in the Irish jersey.”
O’Driscoll notes the recent performances of Luke Marshall for Ulster [two tries against Clermont last week] and feels Henshaw and Ringrose will not be handed the green jerseys without some serious deliberation.
They can certainly make a lock-tight case with another strong showing against Saints this weekend.
One game at a time and, with any luck, many, many games ahead.
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