LATE SWITCH NO BIG PROBLEM SAYS ROB

ROB HERRING insists Ireland can live without Iain Henderson at Twickenham.

The Ulster strongman, 28, missed two training sessions this week to be with his pregnant wife who yesterday gave birth to a baby boy. Leinster veteran Devin Toner (above) will take his place.

It is Toner’s first start since being left out of the Ireland World Cup squad. “It’s brilliant for him,” said Ireland captain Johnny Sexton. “Obviously everyone has setbacks through their career and Dev had a big one at a bad time for him but he has bounced back well.

“The reception that he got against Scotland – I’ve never heard a crowd cheer so loud for a lineout win. We were giving him a bit of stick about it but it just shows what everyone thinks of him. All the lads are delighted for him.”

And Ulster hooker Herring insists the late rejig will not affect the pack’s functioning at Twickenham.

“In terms of the lineout and the scrum it is pretty fluid,” he said.

“All the callers and second rows are on the same page. They get together early in the week and set out the lineouts as a unit, so Dev will come in and be calling. It’s something he has done before so it should be an easy transition.”

However, Herring admits his own transition from third in line to starting in the Ireland front row hasn’t been easy.

In the week that saw Paul O’connell return in an advisory role, South African born Herring recalled that it was the legendary lock who presented him with his first jersey after his Ireland debut on the 2014 summer tour of Argentina.

But he then had to wait over three years for his next one and tomorrow’s clash will only be the 29-year-old’s sixth Test start.

Rory Best – as captain of club and country – was in his way to playing more regularly at the top level.

But Herring said: “There’s never been any bad blood or animosity, we worked hard together at Ulster, we bounced off each other.

“I’ve always felt that I was playing at a level good enough to be here but I’m a hard worker. That’s what I bring.”