Investec Champions Cup Pool Two: Harlequins v Ulster (Saturday, 1pm, TNT Sports 2)
Iain Henderson’s decision to stay at Ulster was based on the double British and Irish Lions tourist wanting to win something with his home province.
The second row’s deal with he IRFU was due to expire on the eve of the world cup and there was speculation that Henderson had suitors in France and Japan but the 31-year-old committed his future to Ireland and Ulster by signing a new two-year contract in June.
It seemed the negotiations were on hold but Henderson who will lead Ulster into Saturday’s must win Investec Champions Cup clash with Harlequins at the Stoop explained he was going nowhere and was to help Ulster end their 18-year trophy drought.
“I have always been at this club, and it has always been my desire to win something at this club.”
“The negotiations were halted earlier in the year then it ended up dragging on longer and longer through no reason other than by the time it got round to the Six Nations, I didn’t want it done while I was trying to perform in the Six Nations.”
“It all got pushed out the backdoor and then it got done pretty shortly after the Six Nations.”
“Any player that has captained and played international rugby is going to get interest from other clubs.”
“That was my main goal after being injured in the Six Nations and before that there was no way I was going to let my last game for Ulster be prior to the Six Nations where I wasn’t aware of it.”
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All to play for in our final pool match 🔥
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“I wasn’t going to go anywhere and that was that I enjoy playing here, I’m so proud to play for this club to captain this club and my mind was made up pretty early on in that season.”
Henderson feels last week’s defeat at Toulouse with galvanise Ulster as they bid to win and clinch a place in the knockout stages of the Champions Cup for fifth time in six years.
“Sometimes some of the best learning come from loses, seeing how disappointed some of the young guys are after the loss it is almost encouraging to see that.”
“When you come up against a team and you don’t get one or two things right, they will run riot.”
“It is encouraging to see how they react, almost visible seeing them grow from a bad performance or a performance where they haven’t done so well then seeing their reaction of the back of that.”
“That sometimes for me is as rewarding as seeing them perform really well and seeing the work they are going to put in this week I find that all incredibly encouraging.”
“From the weekend it doesn’t make it any easier when you lose a big game like that but to be able to try and motivate ourselves and the squad to go into this game as a knockout game and hopefully our first knockout game of four or five going forward and that is the way you have to view it.”
“We beat Leinster so we know we can compete at the top levels, frustratingly for me it has just been the consistency if we do or don’t beat the big teams.”
“I think it is exciting for me, I think this team plays better when are backs are against the wall, when we feel like we have got something to prove and when we feel like we have got a chip on our shoulder almost, frustrating sometimes that is the way it is.”