By Laurie Fitzgerald
Gavin Henson‘s turbulent rugby career took it’s latest twist after he was sacked by Cardiff Blues following his alleged misbehaviour on a team flight back from Glasgow last weekend.
Henson’s dismissal means he is now looking for his third club in just over 12 months as his return to the game following an 18-month sabbatical continues to fail in getting off the ground.
Throughout his career much has been expected of the hugely talented playmaker, from the time he won the IRB young player of the year award as a 19 year-old, to carrying the hopes of the nation in Wales’ Grand Slam success of 2005.
Many felt that triumph would be the making of a major international star for many years to come, but a combination of injuries and off-field distractions have contributed to his inconsistencies on the pitch.
One of the biggest issues has been Henson’s ability to draw headlines; whether it’s related to personal relationships or competing in reality TV shows, the man from Pencoed in Mid Glamorgan has lost his focus when it comes to rugby.
His sabbatical coincided with appearances on Strictly Come Dancing and 71 Degrees North, while he has also appeared more recently in the Channel 5 show the Bachelor.
Henson has thrived on the celebrity lifestyle that he has become accustomed with, in a similar way to how it has engulfed another hugely talented individual in Danny Cipriani.
But while time is still on Cipriani’s side as he prepares to move to Sale Sharks in the summer to fight for an England place, Henson is now the wrong side of 30 and without a club.
Any rugby fan can only hope he regains the affection he had for the game when he was younger; on his day Henson is a supremely skilled player with a wonderful touch and vision that can make him an asset anywhere in the backline.
Warren Gatland underlined just what regard those who know him within the game hold him in when he threw him right back in contention for a World Cup spot last year before injury derailed any hopes of going to New Zealand.
The likes of Cardiff, Saracens and Toulon would not have made such concerted efforts to get the former Ospreys centre within their ranks had his ability been in question.
It all depends on what Henson wants; if he still feels he has unfinished business within the game then he can prove to be a valuable asset to a side in the next few seasons, as his strengths are based on his reading of the game instead of his pace.
Only he will know what the future holds, and whether a hugely promising career will ultimately go unfulfilled.
So what do you think? Will Henson get another chance within the game? Will he decide enough is enough and walk away from rugby? Would you want to have the Welsh star at your club? Leave a comment and let us know your views.
