Iain Henderson: Ulster and Ireland lock says shoulder '100%' for Challenge Cup semi-final against Leicester

Iain Henderson was back in action for the first time since the Six Nations in Ulster's Rainbow Cup defeat by Connacht on Friday

Iain Henderson says his shoulder is "100%" after his return to action against Connacht and that he will be fit for Ulster's Challenge Cup semi-final against Leicester on Friday.

Henderson played his first game since the Six Nations as Connacht snatched victory in the Rainbow Cup opener.

"I got the once over from the physio afterwards and he was happy with it. It feels great," said Henderson, 29.

"We've two [more] days training under our belt and it's still feeling good."

Despite not having won a trophy since clinching the then Celtic League title in 2006, Ulster are fancied by the bookies to win at Welford Road on Friday night and indeed to go all the way to the Challenge Cup title.

Henderson's typical honesty

With typical honesty, Henderson admits that he's not particularly surprised about the odds although he insists he and his team-mates won't be paying any attention to them.

"When you look back at the [Pro14] league table, the amount of games we won was very impressive," Henderson told BBC Radio Ulster's Sportsound Extra Time.

"So when you take what they are basing their odds on, it's maybe a fair summation.

"But we know knockout rugby is different to run-of-the-mill league games.

"Anything can happen in European rugby and anything can happen when you are on the road, so we will be trying to keep our heads away from the bookies."

Iain Henderson helped Ulster beat Leicester in the last meeting between the clubs in the European Cup at Welford Road in January 2019

'Lions tour does crop up in my mind'

Asked about a Lions tour which hopefully is still going to take place in South Africa this summer, Henderson again doesn't deny that it occasionally occupies his thoughts even though he has been out of the shop window for much of this season because of injury.

Hip surgery in August caused the Ulster lock to miss the delayed 2020 Six Nations games against Italy and France in October and he then had to battle to be fit for this year's Six Nations after picking up a knee injury in Ireland's Autumn Nations Cup win over Scotland in early December.

After recovering to feature in all five of Ireland's matches during the Spring, then came the shoulder issue.

"It [the Lions tour] has cropped up in my mind. A lot of what people have produced over the last six months will have made up a large portion of the selectors' minds.

"When that thought does go into your head, I try and keep the head down, continue doing what you are doing and move on to the next game.

"Thankfully knock out rugby is a pretty good distraction. This week, it's very much focused on Welford Road."

Henderson believes Ulster team-mate Jacob Stockdale is also a contender for Warren Gatland's squad despite missing most of the Six Nations campaign through injury.

"I think Jacob suits Warren Gatland's style of play. He's a big back, a good ball-carrier and abrasive....that's what we are going to need this weekend against Leicester on the road.

"We know Leicester have got a sizeable backline. They've got some big runners but I don't think it's anything that someone of Jacob's calibre can't handle and potentially come out on the upper hand."