henson dropped. head scratching

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/16602248.stm

i am scratching my head over this news. he cant have been dropped because of a poor performance, can he? he seemed to be settling in nicely and playing resonably well given he's been out for a while. and, who would they replace him with? surely with roberts and benblair out henson is almost undroppable.

could it be that this is not related to rugby, often the way with the orange. has he punched war-button in training or had a bit of verbal with baber.

maybe the blues are saving henson for the lvcup game. yeah, right.

a bit worried about how this might pan out. if henson has p1ssed in his chips at the blues it could be the end of his rugby career, again.

If Roberts or Daffydd Hewitt were fit, I would prefer them to start

But Gavin Evans?!

i thought the blues were down to the bones with injuries. a blessing for henson. it will be interesting to see the team selection. obviously someone has impressed more than henson.

This is just a made up story because G Evans is fit for the game, yes he could be dropped or on the bench but for Evans who has been pretty poor from the games I have seen. It will be a suprise but it may be to put the French of the scent.

Laurell and Hardy are having a laugh ! He hasn't set the pitch on fire but hes steadily been improving. Run by amateurs

Odd. That leaves most of the attacking decisions down to Parks and Evans, not a good combo. Blues have not got the capablilities to steam-roll Racing up front, not many have. So how exactly do B & B plan to take the 4 or 5 points here?

Why would any coach say they have dropped someone the day before they announce the squad let alone the team?

Summat funny going on!

I know, talk about amateur hour... It's going to be amateur season with B & B. I hope for our friends sake, the Blues, that they aren't judged on performances in the Heineken Cup, could mean they'd be here to stay. Blues are a team showing poor form as are their group contenders allowing them to be top. All the best to them of course should they finish the group as number one and beat Clermont(?) at home.

Its a pretty poor article to b honest, the synopsis says their playing london irish, and nowhere is there a quote from b&b saying henson is dropped - the article also admits the coaches havent said henson is dropped, theyve merely listed evans qualities.

But at the sametime its weird of the bbc to make such a big thing about it if it was nothing

True. I must have missed "Blues joint head coach Gareth Baber did not confirm Henson would be left out against the Paris-based club." Fly-half replacement or starter perhaps.

To be fair, the coaches were really talking up Evans just a few weeks back, so they obviously really rate him. Henson wasn't great at centre, but he's certainly a great bench option as he covers so many positions. Odd that he's been dropped from the squad enitrely, if not a surprise he's not in the starting XV. Most strange.

As dreamer says ppl were talking evans up a few weeks ago tho im not his biggest fan & i can understand the coaches thinking henson,whoses still getting used to the physicality and gettin match sharpness, mite by a bit of a risk against big runners.but from a wales pov i hope he plays so we have more evidence of if hes playing well enough to b picked

Baber doesnt think Henson can do it. Well he''ll just have to earn his place.

The telegraph disputes Hensons fall from grace.

"The 29-year-old centre, who has won only two caps since the end of the 2008-09 season, has been chosen as a utility back, to cover centre, outside half and full-back.
Henson’s inclusion comes six months after he was named in head coach Warren Gatland’s 45-man World Cup training party. A leading contender to win a place in the squad for New Zealand, the controversial star suffered a broken wrist in the warm-up victory over England at the Millennium Stadium in August.
The injury and subsequent surgery ruined his chance of playing at the World Cup and ruled him out of playing action until he made his return, for the Cardiff Blues, in a RaboDirect Pro12 game against the Newport-Gwent Dragons two days before Christmas. He is on an eight-month contract with the Welsh region.
On Wednesday he will be included in a Wales national squad "

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/wales/9021363/Wales-Warren-Gatland-to-include-Gavin-Henson-in-Six-Nations-2012-squad.html

Telegraph were right

Spoke to a friends wife who is a physio at llandarcy and the Vale and she said Gatland is not happy with Blues management, letting fitness levels drop too far...

maestegmafia wrote:Telegraph were right

Spoke to a friends wife who is a physio at llandarcy and the Vale and she said Gatland is not happy with Blues management, letting fitness levels drop too far...

They did look a little lethargic against Leinster – though at the time I thought it was just Parks creating a black hole of indifference

I felt there were a lot of players taking it easy at the start v Leinster yet the Blues could have won it by the end.

There must also be niggles we know nothing about.

Eg Sam Warburton's knee.....I know for a fact he is carrying a problem there.

Maybe dropping him on his head would be a good idea.

All the Welsh Regions coaches need a kick up the arse - especially The Ospreys and The Blues - talent isn't being used properly - soon as Johnson and the Chuckle Brothers go the better

I wouldn't be surprised that, with the 6N being ever closer, Gatland has asked for Henson to not play so he can make it for the Poland Camp and not turn up with a niggle. Worth a thought

Who is Gareth Baber?

If Gavin Henson cannot even make the Cardiff Blues line up, then what chance has he got of make the Welsh line up for the 6ns?

As Gatland bitten off more than he can chew with Henson?

Why does Gatland hold him in sutch high regard?

majesticimperialman wrote:If Gavin Henson cannot even make the Cardiff Blues line up, then what chance has he got of make the Welsh line up for the 6ns?

As Gatland bitten off more than he can chew with Henson?

Why does Gatland hold him in sutch high regard?

Easy. Gavin Henson has been an instrumental part in both of the Welsh championships since 1994.

I saw Henson play at the Liberty, he was OK for 20 mins but then drifted out of the game. Barry Davies was raining up and unders down but there was no sign of the full back, indeed the only thing I can remember him do in the second half was miss a tackle for an Ospreys try.

Reminds me of Leigh Davies who took time out of rugby when he was at his peak. A brilliant player but when he came back he couldn't hack it and drifted out of the game.