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Newcastle Red Bulls finally acted to fill a major hole in their evolution and have chosen the man – for now- who they hope will be their tactical general and bring the best out of the side that currently sit bottom of the Gallagher PREM Rugby table, five points off ninth-place Harlequins.
Zack Henry is the man they have chosen to fill their number 10 shirt, but to many in Newcastle and England in general, the Stade Francais player isn’t a household name. He has good pace off the mark, a strong left foot, and has admitted to enjoying the ‘joue, joue’ nature of life in France.
“I’m also really excited by what Newcastle are building,” he said after the news broke. “I’ve had some inspiring conversations with the club, and I can’t wait to be part of such an ambitious project.
“I’ve loved every minute of my time in France and am eternally grateful for how it’s shaped me, both on and off the field. Hopefully, I can bring some of that experience to the Red Bulls next season.”
There have certainly been times this season when Red Bulls have struggled for direction on the pitch, and have filled other key positions with Raffi Quirke, Josh Hodge and Hoskins Sotutu leading the way.
ATR tells you all about the man who will inherit a shirt once worn by household names such as Rob Andrew, Jonny Wilkinson, and Toby Flood.
Brighton Boy
Newcastle Red Bulls 14th new signing was born on England’s south coast and spent his early days playing for Hurst School and then studied at Bath University.
While there the left-footer caught the attention of former Bath scrumhalf Richard Hill, who whisked him over the Channel to Rouen, where he would spearhead their assault on promotion from Federal 1, France’s third tier.
French Adventure
The now 31-year old’s move to the France was the start of an adventure that by the time he leaves France’s capital will have accounted for nine years as a professional.
In his two seasons in Normandy, Henry helped his new club to promotion to Pro D2, and such was the impression he made that USON Nevers made him an offer, and he was off to central France, something he told the Rugby_Physio podcast he considers “the best choice I ever made.”
Henry played for two years at the Stade du Pré Fleuri, playing “huge matches in huge stadiums.”
Tiger Feet
Henry’s performances caught Leicester Tigers’ attention and when three staff members came to talk to him in Nevers about signing, “it gave me goosebumps.”
Geordan Murphy and later Steve Borthwick were his coaches, and he found a big club undergoing a rebuilding phase with the likes of Ellis Genge and Freddie Steward among the new faces that were being brought through.
He played 26 matches during his time at Mattioli Woods Welford Road and was on the bench when Tigers lost to Montpellier in the 2021 EPCR Challenge Cup final. However, Henry admitted he struggled with the intensity of pre-season during Covid-19, and while he recognises that he learned a huge amount in match planning terms, the desire to return to the Top 14 burned strong.
Paris J’Adore
After nearly 18 months in the PREM, Henry was back in France after he signed with Pau. He was there for two seasons and played 37 times before the call came from the capital.
In his first two seasons with Stade Francais, Henry was a firm fixture in the team, and he racked up 38 appearances. This season he has slipped behind first choice flyhalf Louis Carbonel and also picked up a knee injury that kept him out for much of the autumn. So far, he has played three times.
At 31 he has plenty of rugby left in him, and he clearly wants to grab this last chance to impress English fans having chosen Newcastle over Clermont Auvergne.
“I’m really looking forward to coming back,” he said. “I have spent nine years of my professional career in France, and my only time in the PREM was during Covid, so I’m excited about coming home and having the full experience.”