Gavin Henson made sure his Toulon debut will be remembered with a try to set his team on their way to a rousing victory in France’s Top 14.
The Welsh centre shrugged off his latest injury problem, a seven-centimetre tear in his calf, to make a winning first impression.
He may have been short of a yard of pace after two months out but Henson had lost none of his guile, setting up one try and scoring another to help Toulon beat Stade Français at Stade Félix Mayol.
Henson resurrected his brief British & Irish Lions partnership with Jonny Wilkinson, who kicked 18 points, as he set about trying to show Toulon coach Philippe Saint-Andre that he is worthy of his faith.
Henson is also still hoping he can convince Warren Gatland that he deserves a place in Wales’ World Cup squad this autumn. It took 36 minutes for Henson to belatedly announce his arrival at the club, searing through to set up his team’s second try and open a 23-10 lead at half-time.
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Then on 67 minutes, the former Ospreys and Saracens star latched on to a bouncing ball that eluded all others to touch down and crown a glorious debut.
A jubilant Henson said: “I feel great and more importantly so does my body. It couldn’t have gone better for me, to score a try and set up another was a great day, an unbelievable day. It’s a dream come true. I was a bit nervous before the game.
“It has been such a long time since I was out on the rugby pitch and almost two years since I started in the number 12 jersey, so it was great just to play the full 80 minutes. The fact it was such a stop-start game probably helped me.
“Toulon could be a perfect place to restart my career. I love this part of the world and the atmosphere in the ground was like an international. I would be happy to see out my career here.”
It should perhaps come as little wonder that the former self-styled golden boy of Welsh rugby and TV celebrity should feel at home on the French Riviera but against the stunning backdrop of the glistening Mediterranean, Henson still had to shine.
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His modest welcome from the fans, particularly compared to the rapturous applause for Wilkinson, proved he still had to win over the faithful as well as the coach. That almost happened inside two minutes when he released Gabiriele Lovobalavu and the Fijian kicked ahead — but Henson did not yet possess the turn of pace to win a foot race.
Henson was happy to feed off Wilkinson’s control as he tentatively played his way back into rugby, gliding onto the Englishman’s passes with his characteristic canter. The pair even combined in a thumping tackle on France centre Mathieu Bastareaud.
And he saved the best moment until last, plucking the ball from the air and scoring, to the delight of his teammates and new home crowd.