“F**************K!”
Robbie Henshaw knew he had messed up.
His grubber kick had forced an attacking lineout that Ireland almost scored off. Well, they did score off it but Henshaw had obstructed a rolling maul.
In his eagerness to help out his team, he had cost Ireland a try from Rory Best. “That’s what happens when backs do men’s work,” Donncha O’Callaghan ruefully told The Hard Yards.
From as early as the 10th minute, watching from the press seats at the Principality Stadium, I told the office, “This game is all about Robbie Henshaw.”
The 23-year-old had started with a couple of strong carries and, when Wales came down his channel, he laid waste with some fearsome tackles. Alun Wyn Jones and Ross Moriarty were both repelled in the space of 90 seconds and Scott Williams was bounced back in another collision.
Henshaw had one of his best games in the green jersey but will look back on the loss to Wales with massive regret. Still, moments after his actions say Best’s try chalked off, he showed signs of true courage for the Irish cause. As O’Callaghan told The Hard Yards rugby podcast:
“I’d hate for that to be seen as a mistake for Robbie. He was brilliant on Friday night.
“Even after that incident, he wins a bouncing ball on the ground – it was scrapping around and he was first on it. It just shows his want and desire to win.”
By diving head-long and getting to the ball ahead of two Welshmen, Henshaw wins Ireland an attacking scrum that they got away into the backline only for Johnny Sexton to pump a cross-field ball towards Keith Earls. Both Earls and Liam Williams missed and the ball went out for a Welsh lineout.
Even still, there were eight minutes left for Ireland to score a converted try and win the match. Tadhg Furlong had a great opportunity but spilled the ball out wide and Ireland didn’t get a look-in again.
It was Wales that plunged the dagger with a late Jamie Roberts score. Post-match, Joe Schmidt lamented:
“It’s hugely frustrating when you get over the line and get the ball down and a player who probably didn’t have a massive material effect gets sanctioned appropriately.
“Again Robbie’s a young player who had a super game but you learn from those experiences and that was incredibly disappointing.”
Henshaw will have been smarting all weekend from his blood-rush but he was one of the Irish players that helped get them into a position to win the match.
He has grown immensely as a Test match player in the past two years and will be a key player against England this weekend. He will give everything he has to get Ireland over the line too, but he may steer clear of the mauls and men’s work.
