Robbie Henshaw waiting for chance due to form of Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose

Ireland centre Robbie Henshaw accepts he may have to remain patient for opportunities at his third Rugby World Cup due to the “flying” form of positional rivals Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose.

The experienced 30-year-old has been a Test regular for a decade but his game time in France has so far been restricted to two cameos.

Leinster player Henshaw, who has 67 international caps, admits the peripheral role feels unfamiliar and is fighting to regain a starting spot.

He believes strength in depth is vital to his country’s aspirations in the tournament and praised the “outstanding” displays of Aki, who has already registered four tries, and Ringrose.

“He’s been brilliant, his body’s in great shape,” Henshaw said of the in-form Aki.

“He’s flying fit and he’s had a great pre-season, as has Garry. The lads are flying it, their performances have been consistent and rock solid and Bundee’s been flying in terms of getting tries on the board.

“He’s been letting us know that he’s near the top of the try scorers list, which we’ve been having a laugh about.

“They’ve been outstanding and for me it’s just whenever I get a chance to come in to make sure I put my best foot forward.”

Henshaw was a late withdrawal from Ireland’s bench for the opening win against Romania as a precaution.

He then bolstered his side as a replacement in the subsequent success over Tonga before twice coming on against South Africa, initially in the first half while Ringrose underwent a head injury assessment.

“You start the week with the mindset of being as competitive as you can and making sure when we know the team that they’re prepared the best they can be,” Henshaw said of team selection.

“That’s definitely a role of the guys who are not in that starting