Gerry Thornley talks to Rob Henderson about how good Munster hasbeen for him

As interview settings go you'd find few better. Chez Hendo, aka The Mall House, on the outskirts of Castleconnell, Co Limerick, is a picturesque yellow old Georgian-style, two-storey house. At the end of the ample, eh, slightly overgrown garden, the sun glistens blindingly off one of the Shannon's estuaries.

Rumour had it Robert Henderson esquire and his charming wife, Angie, missed the bright lights of London. Few people could miss bright lights when you have this idyllic, albeit rented, home. Ideally they'd like him to obtain an extension to his three-year contract with Munster and Ireland, which expires at the end of next season, so as to finish his career here and set up home.

Their generosity, typically, knows no bounds. Dinner is served alfresco on arrival. The racing channel offers some afternoon breaks from the sun. As Man United v Real nears - "stay the night" - Hendo, as is his wont, is in great form. To the manor born.

He was driving around one day two years ago with Anna Clohessy as his move to Munster was in the pipeline and drove past this house with a "To Let" sign outside and fell in love with it. Anna took some video footage of it, he sent it back to Angie in London, and that was enough for her too.

"It's a fantastic place to play your rugby. The team is as hard-working and as honest as any on the planet. Whoever comes in the machine grinds along and the unity within the squad is, I'd say, second to none."

So what is it then, this intangible Munster quality? "In a team that does have stars no-one is treated like one. Everyone is treated exactly the same and everyone reacts with each other on the same level. There's no cliques, which is amazing, because you'll always find a clique in any team."

The closest comparison he can draw is with London Irish back in the amateur days. A previous interview, when at Sunbury, was conducted in his home adjacent to a train line and Teddington station. Now the tape recorder replays with birds chirping in the background. He's swapped street lights for sunlight, and, as he puts it, trains for swans.

"We've been very lucky, especially with the people in Castleconnell. You have to mention the people, and particularly two fitness centres I go to, Charcos and Guerins."

Hmm, Hendo living up to his image, though he's far, far more dedicated than he lets on and is back in his favoured, pre-Lions fitness regime.

One day they were in Charcos when Angie mentioned to someone she needed an extension lead. Two women overheard, and within 10 minutes one of them had gone and returned with said extension lead.

Qualify of life, mate, quality of life. "The fast food outlets are a little further away so I'm eating a lot more home-cooked food. I think it just suits me and my personality. I can go in to work 10 minutes away, train as hard as I can, and then when I come through the door I can forget about the stresses of everything. I don't have to worry about the 2.30 from Waterloo barrelling past my house, and jumping up to hold plates on the wall. Wind-down time, I would think is the biggest thing."

Rugby-wise, he's simply playing with a bigger outfit, benefiting from two "top coaches" in Declan Kidney last season and Alan Gaffney this. Alas, things haven't gone as swimmingly these past two seasons as he'd have liked. Last season, post-Lions and his knee injury, was he describes "a pain in the balls". This season, he tore a bicep at Kingsholm in October, the examining doctor informing him the only injury of its kind he'd ever come across before was sustained against a boom on a sailing boat.

There followed four months on the outside watching Ireland put together their autumnal wins and Munster maintain a dual attack on silverware. "A couple of years ago I think it would have got me seriously down but maybe the benefit of being injured before stood me in good stead this year, and I knew all I had to do was get fit again, keep myself focused and hopefully, things would come around again."

They have too, if only somewhat. In a stop-start campaign, he's managed nine starts and half a dozen appearances as sub, making his strike rate of eight tries pretty impressive.

One of those tries was in a stunning return for Munster as an impact replacement in the Celtic League final win over Neath, a reprise of one of his hat-trick tries against Italy, as he recalls. Another couple in his comeback for the Irish A win over Scotland demonstrated his well-being.

He's philosophical about his peripheral international status to date. "I was hoping for a big part in the Six Nations but as it panned out the team was on a fantastic roll and I left it a little too late to force my way into the reckoning."

Hopping between squads, and confined to just a bit part on the right wing against Italy, he even missed the win over the English A with a bruised ankle. "Luckily that was only a minor setback. I've been training hard these last couple of weeks and feel as good, if not better, than before."

As we spoke, the Munster management were still mulling over whether to play Henderson or Jason Holland from the start, though Henderson was certain of some game time. In the event, a decision will not be made before today. It's a daunting enough task, Leicester at Welford Road, and drawing on his time at London Irish and Wasps, Henderson reckons he's been on the losing end on his half a dozen previous treks there.

It's a big showcase opportunity for Henderson and co, and the more the better with the World Cup in mind, for there aren't too many internationals between now and Oz. He talks about doing the groundwork and taking small steps first, but he's not one for coyly declining to look too far ahead.

"If I was going to sit here and talk about burning ambitions, first and foremost would be to put a run together in the Munster team, second would be to regain a place in the Irish team, and following on from that to play a significant role in the World Cup. I think I've something to offer but it's a question of getting a slot in the market to put my stall out. First I've got to get on the pitch and prove I'm fit enough and playing well enough."

Missing out on the last World Cup was the biggest disappointment of his career, and, at 30, this is probably his last shot at one. He once forecast he'd be finished playing by this point. "Yeah, gone by 30. Now it's gone by 40. It's the fresh air, takes years off you. At the time I was totally correct, because if I'd carried on with my lifestyle as it was then I don't think I'd have made 28, let alone 30. Obviously maturing, growing up, lifestyle change, being happier with myself. I don't think I had adapted to the responsibilities that came with professionalism. Now I have. I'm in great shape, so another few years definitely. When's the next Lions tour?"

While he did manage to play in two Celtic League finals and all of last season's knock-out matches in the Heineken Cup, you sense he still feels a debt to Munster and Irish rugby.

"I think it's been a great move but I think I owe something to the people that brought me over, to the people I play with and to the people I support to show that Rob Henderson, when he's fully fit, without injuries, playing a full season, is a very good acquisition." Still time left.