Ulster Rugby v Wasps

CHRIS HENRY: ‘WHEN THE ULSTER CROWD ROARS AT KINGSPAN STADIUM THERE IS NO BETTER PLACE IN THE WORLD TO BE’. On the opening of the European Champions Cup, we caught up with Chris Henry to get his views on where the Ulstermen are at the moment and what we can hope to see from them on the pitch tonight.

“From a player’s point of view we’re sitting second in the table having won 5 games out of 6 so we’re reasonably happy with how the season has gone so far. “Obviously, the big downfall for us was the Zebre match which was disappointing for everyone but if you look at Zebre’s performance recently, they’ve put in some really good games and have won matches that, at the start of the season, you probably wouldn’t have expected them to win. Both Zebre and Treviso are a lot better than they used to be and perhaps we underestimated them a little. “We are realistic. We know that only a tiny part of the season has gone but if you had said to us at the start of the year that we’d be second at this stage we probably would have said ‘That’s great, thanks, yeah we’ll take it’.” While Henry picked up a larynx injury during the win versus Connacht, and therefore is unavailable for tonights game, he says the boys are firmly focused on the next challenge: the European Champions Cup. “We were pleased with the outcome of the Connacht match, obviously, it’s great to secure the win but the fact that we didn’t give them a bonus point was massive, the guys really dug in and did well to hold them out. “I thought the referee was pretty harsh on us at times, if we had got a bit more parity in a few areas, especially the scrum, I think we could have really pushed on from that and racked up a few more points. But we’re happy to have got the win. We are playing some really good rugby but holding onto the ball in the 22 and being clinical in our approach are areas we need to work on and they are even more important with the challenge now moving to Europe for the Champions Cup.” The first couple of rounds of Europe are all- important in setting the tone for a team’s knockout qualification prospects. Following their stinging defeat by the Wasps during the pre-season, the Ulstermen are all the more

determined to step up to the mark according to Henry. “You may only get a few opportunities in the league, you can lose the odd one, create a few and still end up with the big win but Europe is a different story. You only get that one chance, so this week, we’ve been focusing on improving our play and being more clinical to make sure that we complete any shots we take. We’re going to give it a good rattle this weekend. “Wasps have had their injury problems and they rested a lot of players last weekend. But they’re a word class team, with world class players and if we don’t turn up and show what we’re about then it could be a really tough night for us. With big teams like Wasps you just lick you lips and get stuck in. It’s a challenge we’re ready for. “And you couldn’t ask for more than a home start to the European cup kick. The players relish these nights. Kicking off at home on a Friday night is what it’s all about, it’s why you play the game. It’s amazing just having that crowd behind you, whether things are going well or poorly, having the fans behind you makes such a huge difference. When the Ulster crowd roars at Kingspan Stadium there is no better place in the world to be.” Henry is a familiar face among the Ulster faithful having rose through the ranks of the Academy and been with the squad since signing a development contract back in 2006. His pedigree as a captain was tested on various occasions including a stint for Ireland’s U21s therefore the decision to have him hold the reigns, in the absence of Rory Best, did not come as a shock to fans. But, as Henry shares, the role of captain is not without its challenges. “Personally, it’s been a really enjoyable season so far. There has been some stressful moments but I’ve enjoyed captaining the side when given the chance. Taking on the role of captain adds a bit more pressure – you’re not just worrying about yourself but take on responsibility for the

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