HEN DO, NOT HEN DON’T..

Robbie is happy with what he brings to the party

ROBBIE HENSHAW insists he will remain his own man.

Sidelined since his first Lions tour ended with a shoulder injury before the second Test, Henshaw believes he has no need to overhaul his playing style.

That’s despite not getting in the running for a Test place, such was the form of Ben Te’o.

He said: “I’ll go on being Robbie Henshaw and I’ll do what I usually do, play how my coach wants me to play.

“I can vary my game. I can be a crash-ball runner, I can be a distributor if you want me to – and I have a variety of kicking that I can use as well. But I loved how Ben played. He has great footwork and he’s a great player.

“The way it fell he played a lot with Johnny (Sexton) and Owen Farrell, whereas I was playing with Dan Biggar a good bit. I liked how he played.

“I’ll keep improving my own game, keep asking questions of myself.”

Closer to home, the 24-year-old regards

“world class” Bundee Aki as an Ireland asset rather than a threat to his own

Test place.

Eligible next month under the residency rule, the New Zealander will immediately come under international consideration as Joe Schmidt prepares for the November series.

But Henshaw is clearly confident he has the ability to keep hold of his shirt at centre as his former Connacht midfield partner comes into the fold. “It’s great to have him in there,” he said.

“He’s a world class player and he’d add value to the group.

“I’m really looking forward to having him in and hopefully he gets a run out.”

Henshaw could be back in action against Edinburgh next week but tonight Leinster are facing a high altitude clash against the Cheetahs.

Skipper Isa Nacewa and scrum-half Jamison Gibson-park will start for the province in Bloemfontaine after finally being allowed to enter South Africa on Sunday having successfully applied for visas. LEINSTER: Carbery, D Kearney, Reid, Nacewa, Daly, Byrne, Gibson-park; Healy, Tracy, Bent, Molony, M Kearney, Murphy, van der Flier, Conan.