INTERVIEW CHRIS HENRY:AT LEINSTER'S press conference last Monday, it was striking how much one Ulster player was repeatedly named. It wasn't the phenomenal Stephen Ferris, or even Ruan Pienaar or one of his fellow high-class imports.

Tellingly, the name most often on Leinster lips was Chris Henry.

You inform him of this, and that it appears to have been prompted primarily by his ability to be an utter pain in Munster’s ass at the breakdown in the quarter-final, and he chuckles.

“Well, that’s what I try to do,” he admits, smiling. “I think against Munster we knew that they’re very good at that too. I suppose it’s not something I went in to (that game) to do but I was just fortunate enough to have a lot of opportunities to get on the ball.”

Henry’s ever-improving skills there may have something to do with the expertise of Brian McLaughlin, the self-styled Brigadier of the Breakdown, who has noted the way Glasgow “were able to expose” the European champions in this area last week.

However, Henry also notes that “from one to 15, Leinster are all very good at the breakdown. As soon as someone is tackled, they’re on the ball like sevens/openside flankers.”

Right enough, Leinster have a battalion of turnover experts, be it Richardt Strauss, Seán O’Brien, Shane Jennings, Jamie Heaslip, Gordon D’Arcy, Brian O’Driscoll or whoever.

Nevertheless, on the evidence of the Thomond Park quarter-final, Henry is very much in that company. Admittedly, so encouraged was he by Roman Poite’s typically laissez-faire approach to the breakdown, he overstepped the mark once by playing the ball on the deck and was yellow-carded. But that was his first sin-binning in 23 starts for Ulster this season.

Henry missed the semi-final with a knee injury, having been an ever-present at openside throughout Ulster’s Heineken Cup campaign until then. Along with his strong carrying, it’s almost as if openside has been his natural position all along.

“He’s a good reader of the game, he’s got a good head on his shoulders and he obviously works pretty hard,” says assistant coach Neil Doak. “We probably missed him a little bit in the last game (semi-final against Edinburgh) and I think his smarts around the breakdown and around the field will be an added bonus for us in the final.”

Henry concurs with Doak that last pre-season, when the competition for places demanded another level from him, was a turning point, and while versatility is a boon for his team and himself, openside is his preferred position.

“Whenever people ask me about that I’ve been trying to make seven my own; I want to bring my own identity to it because I would be maybe five kilograms heavier than a usual seven. I feel I can read the game well so anything I lack in a bit of pace I’m getting there hopefully as soon as possible to do something at the breakdown. And I’ve been enjoying my rugby the most this season. Maybe that’s the reason why.”

This, he says, is primarily due to Ulster’s Heineken Cup run, and the excitement of playing in big occasion games. Listening to the palpable excitement in his voice, it’s clear Henry, like Dan Tuohy, Craig Gilroy and others, has benefited from the more elevated company they’re keeping, both team-mates and opposition. Henry describes missing the semi-final as one of the toughest days of his career, and reminded him it’s easier to play than watch, but with him and John Afoa back in harness, Ulster will effectively revert to the team that beat Leicester, Clermont and Munster en route to the final.

“When you’re in a huddle and you look around and see the players you’ve got, I have a massive amount of faith in the players around me,” says Henry, but he acknowledges Leinster’s proven ability to up the ante in games, even Heineken Cup finals, is going to take him and his team-mates to “places we’ve never been before.”

Regardless of tomorrow’s outcome, Ulster’s form collectively is likely to see individual recognition in the composition of the Ireland squad for the three Tests in New Zealand which Declan Kidney will announce on Monday.

Adding to his sole cap in Australia two years ago is the furthest thing from his mind, he admits, but says: “I’ve never hidden from the fact I don’t want to be just a one-cap player for Ireland. I’ve always said I want to be back there but that looks after itself. If Declan feels I’m ready I would certainly love that challenge. It’s another step up but at the moment that’s definitely not on my mind. All that matters is Saturday, and then we go from there.”