The real buzz around Ulster has been so refreshing: Henderson

IF Iain Henderson has been suffering from any World Cup hangover, there was no sign of it after he led Ulster to a 17-16 win over Bath in the opening game of his side’s Champions Cup campaign.

Tense and rarely free-flowing but with plenty of the requisite grit, the province’s victory by the narrowest of margins came via a 71st-minute John Cooney penalty and late defensive stand that saw Jacob Stockdale intercept what would have been a match-winning scoring pass for the hosts with the clock deep into the red.

Sat in the back of The Rec after starting his tenure as Ulster skipper with a win, Henderson said the energy and enthusiasm shown by his team-mates in training this week has been refreshing in the wake of Ireland’s World Cup exit to New Zealand a little under a month ago.

“The week actually felt a lot different to what I’ve been involved in before (with Ulster),” said Rory Best’s successor of his first action since that dispiriting quarter-final thumping in Tokyo.

“Coming back in, the energy has been unbelievable about the place. There’s been a different, not style, to training but just a different set-up to the days, and the lads are buzzing.

“There’s competition in training and excitement that’s next level. To come back into that is utterly refreshing.

“It’s a very good place to be in and a positive place to be in. It’s been a class week and all I can say is that I’m looking forward to the next one.”

Henderson was confirmed as captain only one day before joining Joe Schmidt’s World Cup camp and added that the wait to lead his side out in a permanent capacity for the first time has felt a long one.

“During the summer when Dan (McFarland) called me in and we had the chat about the captaincy, it was quite difficult because I really wanted to get stuck back in with the lads immediately,” he said.

“To have to disappear for three and a half months was tough. I’ve been itching to get back in. To get into training last week and see how intense it was, and then be involved this week, it’s been class.

“It’s something I’ve been looking forward to for the last eight, nine, 10 weeks. I’m delighted to be back in and hopefully next week we take it to another level.”

To beat Top 14 giants Clermont back in Belfast for round two on Friday night, such an improvement will no doubt be necessary but, in this instance, it was a commendable show of resilience.

Earning four match points off just 42% possession, it was another day when, thanks to Jared

Payne’s defence, Ulster looked more impressive when the opposition had their hands on the ball.

In that regard, what was a glaring weakness a few seasons ago appears to have been transformed into something of a strength.

The same can be said for the province’s form away from Kingspan Stadium.

From the beginning of 2016 through the first of Dan McFar