Robbie Henshaw believes Ireland’s win over France in the Six Nations will tee the side up nicely for the crucial encounters against Wales and England in the weeks ahead.
The Ireland centre admitted that conditions forced Ireland to adjust their normal game plan, but was more than satisfied with the 19-9 victory at the Aviva Stadium.
“It was such a physical game,” Henshaw told RTÉ Sport.
“The ball was a bit slippy and the conditions were a little bit difficult to play running rugby.
“There was a lot of kicking and up-the-jumper stuff.
“We had to be pretty sharp around the breakdown and around the fringes and defence-wise.
“We’re pretty happy with the result.”
The Leinster player revealed that he and his team-mates had regarded the fixture as the toughest of their three openers, despite the trip to Murrayfield to face Scotland ending in defeat.
“We thought today was going to be the biggest test yet, physically and mentally,” Henshaw said.
“France are back playing good rugby and they showed that in areas of the game.
“They made a good few line breaks and we had to be on our toes to get back and defend them.
“All and all, we’re satisfied with it, and it’s a good step-up.
“We’ve two tough games coming up again. We need to raise the bar again.
“If we execute our roles the best we can, I think we can go all the way.”
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