THERE seems to be no getting away from Gavin Henson even though the suspended centre is not playing rugby. Yesterday, Gareth Thomas, the Wales captain, refused to speak to media gathered to hear the announcement of the Wales team to play Scotland on Sunday so long as Graham Thomas, the BBC journalist who ghost-wrote Henson’s book, was in the room.
The players were angry at an article by Thomas in the programme for the England v Wales match last weekend, defending Henson’s book and criticising rugby’s unwritten law that players should not make controversial comments. After a 30-minute sit-in by the players, Graham Thomas left the building and normal service was resumed, although Gareth Thomas refused to attend the team announcement. He did not miss much.
Given that Mike Ruddock, the Wales coach, believes that for 60 minutes at Twickenham Wales did little wrong and that the sending to the sin-bin of Martyn Williams swung the game, it is no surprise that Wales are unchanged for the game against Scotland at Cardiff on Sunday.
“I hold to the view that the team I selected against England was the best team and therefore see no reason to change it,” Ruddock said. “We believe these players have the talent to put in a big performance against Scotland and get us back to where we belong — on a winning run.”
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On the bench Michael Phillips, the Cardiff Blues scrum half, replaces Gareth Cooper, who was injured after coming on to replace Dwayne Peel, and Gareth Delve, the promising Bath back-row player, is preferred to Alix Popham.