Jared Payne looks for Robbie Henshaw reunion against Romania
Tuesday 22 September 2015 15:29, UK
Jared Payne hopes he and Robbie Henshaw can get time together in the centre for Ireland against Romania on Sunday before bigger games at the Rugby World Cup.
Henshaw missed the 50-7 weekend victory against Canada in Cardiff because of a hamstring problem and only did some light jogging on Monday.
He could return to action at Wembley, however, and Payne believes that would be useful ahead of sterner tests against Italy and France.
The Ulster player - who scored one of seven tries against the Canadians - said: "It would be nice to get some time together with Robbie.
"But whoever Joe [Schmidt] picks, we've got to make sure that we get together, do our video work then build the combinations as best we can then hopefully come the game it's pretty seamless."
Leinster's Luke Fitzgerald stepped in as a late replacement for Henshaw and Payne added: "Luke came in and slotted in pretty seamlessly well on the weekend.
"That was only from a Thursday. We've got to take a lead from that, follow his example and try to do a job.
"Robbie was jogging around out there on Monday, so I think he was moving well enough. And we'll see what happens in the next few days I guess."
Irish coach Schmidt admitted Henshaw and Payne were a 'manufactured midfield' when they were first thrown together as the successors to Gordon D'Arcy and Brian O'Driscoll.
Now Ireland's settled centres, the duo are expected to thrive in this campaign and Payne has tipped Connacht's rising 21-year-old star Henshaw for future world dominance.
"Robbie's got a great passing game, very good feet and he's big and abrasive too," he said. "In a few more years he's going to be one of the standout centres in world rugby.
"We both had some pretty big boots to fill with D'Arcy and Drico going when we got thrown in there but I think we handled it pretty well.
"When Joe first put us together, he just told us to chat to each other a lot and to look at videos to study each other's game to build a combination.
"He gave us confidence to back our skills and try to bring that together as best we could. Any time you get picked together for several games hopefully you realise you're doing something right."
