Hendo raring to go just six days after concussion setback

THERE were plenty of eye-catching inclusions yesterday lunchtime when Ulster’s teamsheet to face Connacht this evening (7.35pm kick-off) was revealed.

Seasonal debuts for skipper Rory Best and star wing Jacob Stockdale, a return for Marcell Coetzee after his shoulder injury, John Cooney’s overcoming of a second scalp wound to remain in the nine jersey, and the restoration of Stuart McCloskey into the midfield after missing last week’s record thumping at the hands of Munster all offered cause for optimism that the province would bounce back from their harrowing trip to Limerick.

The name in the selection that will have raised the most eyebrows, however, was that of Iain Henderson. Six days ago he found himself unable to remember his side’s lineout calls after a blow to the head.

The impact in Thomond Park appeared to come in the 12th minute with a tackle on his international colleague Joey Carbery, Henderson staying down and placing his hand on his head after the Munsterman wriggled away.

Seven minutes later, the visitors won a lineout and assembled waiting for Henderson’s instructions.

“I just couldn’t remember any calls,” he said. “Literally went into the huddle and I paused for 10 seconds, and I think it was Andy Warwick who asked ‘what do you want to call?’ and I was just looking at the ground.

“It was just bizarre, I was lost for words. I was standing there, and I remember everyone was looking at the ground and a bit of panic set in because I couldn’t think of what to call, so I was like ‘just call something simple’ and I didn’t even know any simple calls.

“I couldn’t even think of the simplest lineout call and I was just standing there. Big Al O’Connor said ‘I think we’ll do this one’, and I went into the lineout and still couldn’t think of it.”

O’Connor himself took the lineout and Ulster moved through 14 phases before play was stopped by a Munster penalty, Henderson carrying in the interim as well as shielding team-mates in the ruck.

As cameras focused on referee Dan Jones after the decision, TV pictures showed another conversation between Henderson and O’Connor ongoing in the background.

“I said to big Al ‘you’re going to need to call these lineouts because I can’t remember any of them’,” Henderson revealed.

“He said ‘there’s no point in you going on if you’re like this’. In my head I was fine to go on. The physio came on to me after the initial knock and I didn’t feel too bad, and then the doctor said it can be three or four minutes for the symptoms to manifest.

“I took a knee and said to the doc after that lineout that I couldn’t remember stuff, that’s one of the (things) that would completely rule you out.”

With such a symptom meaning Henderson was out of the remainder of the game, he departed without a Head Injury Assessment (HIA). His first test came after the game.

“There’s three HIA tests,” he said. “One is done immediately after the incident, or if you have certain symptoms it’s not done.

“I wasn’t HIA 1’d and that’s the Head Injury Assessment you do when you come off the pitch for 10 minutes. They decided on the pitch that I would not be continuing.

“So I didn’t do that one, and then I did HIA 2 which is post game and is exactly the same thing to see if your symptoms have alleviated or completely disappeared.

“Then HIA 3 is following one full 24 hour rest period after If last week was a rude awakening, then Dan McFarland )andhis men have their favourite fixture in which to bounce back. A week on from shipping 64 points to Munster, Ulster face a Connacht side who haven’t won in Belfast since 1960. With Rory Best, Jacob Stockdale, Marcell Coetzee and Stuart McCloksey all back in the side, that run should continue with the home side to get back to winning ways.