06/04/2012 Sport Wales

Good evening. It is a huge weekend for the Cardiff Blues but their big

week has been overshadowed by what happened on that flight from

Glasgow to Cardiff. We've got the latest on Gavin M -- Gavin Henson

and much more. Also on tonight's show, we are in France with Lee

Byrne. Players cannot get back home what they are getting in France. If

so many offers you double, you go. We assess the Blues chances in

Europe. The they can use that negative press to create a siege

mentality. Nobody likes us but we don't care. And just 112 days to go

in the latest of our London 2012 previews. Can Brett Morse crack the

Olympic gold? -- code., he's had four clubs in Wales, England and

France in just under two years. This weekend, he probably would

have been part of the squad to take on Leinster in their Heineken Cup

quarter-final in Dublin tomorrow night. But once again, Gavin Henson

finds himself out in the cold. Gavin Henson is coming on for the

final 15 minutes. Gavin Henson has been suspended. Will Gavin Henson

ever play rugby again? In a statement, the chief executive said

the decision sent out a clear message that such behaviour would

not be tolerated. A Cardiff Blues gave him an opportunity and he has

messed it up again. There are some -- several hundred examples like

this and people don't get sacked. There was more drama today as Blues

chairman Peter Thomas hit back at criticism for sacking Gavin Henson

over his drunken behaviour on a plane. Tom James and Ceri Sweeney

were arrested and bailed back in February after an alleged late-

night assault on a man in Cardiff. So did Gavin Henson has antics the

warrant the p 45? They have sent a harsh precedent in my view. I think

there are plenty of examples, Danny Care has been caught drink-driving

but is still playing for Harlequins, for me, he is on a short-term

contract and they have just lost Jimmy Roberts, I would have told

him to put his boots on and proved so wrong against Leicester.

feel a bit sorry about the way he has been sacked. It is unacceptable

behaviour. There's a bit of history with the Blues and players getting

into trouble. They have said, any more trouble and there will be

severe consequences. Why did Cardiff signed him if they weren't

going to play him choirs like he has not been given a chance.

wanted to play at 10 but he's not been given a chance. They're

cutting costs there. We know the board and Peter Thomas has probably

had enough of pumping money into a region which has not to be going

very far. Who can blame him? Peter Thomas has been a fantastic

benefactor. Gavin Henson is a member of the Welsh Rugby Players'

Association. They told us support was available if the needed it but

that he had not been in touch. Going out drinking has landed a

Gavin Henson job and the past. But is this entirely his own fault or

is he a victim of a deep-rooted rugby culture? A lot of

professional sportsmen abstain from alcohol for long periods of time

but they have these binges or a blow-out, usually after the

tournament or an important game, where they do drink and consume not

to knock a hole. These are often organised by the club's and for

some players, they seem not to be able to deal with that very well.

Gavin Henson the brand has taken a hit with an s Late dropping one

sponsorship package. But is there life in Gavin Henson the rugby

player? I think somebody will take a gamble on him. He remains

potentially a fantastic player. He is in good physical condition. If

he goes abroad somewhere like South Africa or Australia. Bristol are

looking like they will be promoted in England. They will come into the

Premiership and they have to make a late call on signings. Somewhere

like that will meet senior players to lead things and that could be

the makings of Gavin Henson. Whether they would consider having

him, who knows? Is that it for him in terms of Wales? We have better

centres playing for Wales at the moment. Has he got the chance? It's

a long road back to play for Wales. So another very difficult week for

Gavin Henson. Somebody who knows him very well is the former Ospreys

coach Sean Holly. Waders define himself in these difficult

positions? -- why. He has got into trouble again and it's very

disappointing. He was a very rugby intelligent guy and super

professional. He has got himself into a bit of trouble. He was at

his most comfortable when he was playing consistently in one

position. That has not happened since his comeback into rugby.

Ruddock this week said the Blues have set a precedent. He said they

have to look in the mirror and ask what they have carried out the same

action if it was Jamie Roberts or Sam Warburton. I think he's right.

They have been a few incidents in my time at the Ospreys. This is not

in isolation. It has happened in the past and it is not just Gavin

Henson. They have set their stall out and maybe the circumstances

mean that Gavin Henson is is it good. Why would the Blues players

want to go out and drink in the biggest week of the season? There

is this element that the train very hard and they have small windows.

But the window is not immediately after very late game when you have

an early flight the next day. You have to look at the management.

Things should be in place to prevent that. A good environment

and culture would ring-fence that and the players themselves would

control that. They and the players coming through have that, the likes

of Sam Warburton. They are prepared to sacrifice those things for a

Grand Slam or a Heineken Cup quarter-final. Gavin Henson has got

himself into a predicament. I don't think he has shown the patience and

sell for the people that have afforded him a lot of patience

since his comeback. That is disappointing. He played for you at

the Ospreys. He went to Toulon and Saracens. What next? Will anybody

take a gamble on him? It would be a gamble. He is building up a track

record. I think he has to earn the respect of the rugby public again.

That is not about going out and getting a TV deal. Maybe he's

should do something for charity and give something back. My fear is now

that he will enter into the TV world again. That is not the Gavin

Henson I know. Will he ever achieve anything again in the game? It is

only down to him. We will talk more later. According to the bookies,

the Welshman most likely to lift the Heineken Cup does not play for

the Cardiff Blues, he plays for Clermont Auvergne. Lee Byrne is

part of the Celtic invasion, the army of last players heading across

the Channel. Graham Thomas went to find out what makes French life and

French rugby so attractive. This is worth 50,000 Frenchmen gathered to

celebrate when their club became champions of France for the first

time a couple of years ago. If they become champions of Europe, at

least as many will gather here again and amongst those there'll be

solution -- saluting will be a Welshman. Lee Byrne was recognised

as one of the leading full-backs in the world until he fell from favour

with the last phrase last season. - - with the Ospreys. It was probably

one of the worst times of my career. I am fortunate that Clermont

Auvergne have come into for me. -- come in for me. I feel like a new

player. There were other offers on the table but I decided to come

here because of the club on the culture and history. It is run so

professionally. When you hear stories from being back in Wales

that the French are not as professional, I can honestly say

this is the most professional club I've ever been at. It is a city the

side of Cardiff and the play in a modern stadium but that is where

the similarities end. They play before a sell-out 20,000 crowds

after assembling a fantasy 15. They blend foreign imports with French

stars. It is not just Clermont Auvergne. This was the other teams

have are unbelievable. Playing week-in week-out in this league, it

is well have the best in the world at the moment. It is great to be

part of that. I am playing with some great players. It is a

privilege. He is first choice fullback and there is some good

competition. Every week, you after perform here because there is

competition on the bench. There is a real motivation to keep your

level of performance high. Lee Byrne is a competitive and thrives

on that competition. Lee Byrne is one of three large squad players

currently in France. Next season, the figure will rise to seven and

even youngsters like Alex Cuthbert have held talks with French clubs.

So what is the main appeal? If I am totally honest, if it is down to

money. If somebody gets offered a job which is higher paid, playing

at a higher level in such a great League, why wouldn't you take it?

Back home, of people have got families and they have short

careers. You have to make the most of it. I don't blame these players

for making the most of it. difference, is it marginal or huge

differences? Probably double. Probably double what players can

get back home. You're talking double the pay. If somebody in an

ordinary job was offered double, you would go. Warren Gatland keeps

banging on to Welsh players, if you do-gooder France, make sure you get

release clauses written into your contract. Is it that simple? It is,

if you are at the right club. If you have a squad you can -- that

can deal with you being away, fortunately, I have great players.

Does it still had not being in the team? If he does. Being a squad

member is not what I am about. The boys that works so hard, I am happy

for them, but I would have liked to have been there collecting my medal

with them. It is up to me now. I really have to put a performance in

Lee Byrne is another play you know well. Good to hear he has British

and Irish Lions ambitions for next year. Yes, he has some unfinished

business there. He has made the move. He has played 14 games for

Clermont and reached the latter stages of the Heineken Cup and they

will be challenging the top 14, so he will get good quality games. I

am glad he has got ambition for that because he is a fine player

when he is on a roll and he has unfinished business from the last

tour. Lee story is similar to the lot of the boys who go to France,

they have been honest, they have gone there for the money. You can't

blame them, can you? No, you can't, particularly someone in Lee's

position, where he is coming to the twilight of his career. These

offers come along and it is big money. You can't blame them. With

regards to the regions as well, they have books to balance and it

is good business in the end if they have talent coming through. You can

understand the situation as far as Lee Byrne is concerned. Welsh rugby

is in a financial black hole given the situation and the regions find

themselves in. Realistically there is no way they will compete with

French clubs? No, there is not. The differential in the Budget is huge.

That is reflected in the Heineken Cup. If Welsh teams get to the

quarter-final, the semi-final or final, they are doing very well.

And against Irish teams. But there are difficult times out there. They

have to manage themselves. But the World Cup and the Six Nations has

shown there is a lot of young talent coming through now, maybe

our developments to stick -- systems are starting to work and if

we can give young players a chance to flourish in the big games, we

can see what we can produce. There are good times ahead as long as the

region's trust in what they have got. We will go head to the big

European games in a moment. First, the build-up to London 2012. The

discus was one of the icon exports of the Olympics. It has been in

every modern games since 1896. It is one of the few disciplines to

survive from the ancient Greek Olympiad added has been some time

since we had success in a field event. -- and it has been some time.

Lynn Davies, whose parents are watching in Cardiff, 1st August and

some speeder. Terrific height and a wonderful run, over a eat meat

again. Lynn Davies stunned athletics with his winning jump in

Japan almost five decades on a young Welshman hopes does bring a

similar shock in the world of track and field. -- hope it does bring a

similar shock. Brett Morse is the only Welsh discus thrower to have

won the UK title and yesteryear -- last year was the youngest in the

final at the World Championships. Aged 23, he is a relative newcomer

competing in an event dominated by sporting giants. A lot of discus

flowers are big, tall guys, six ft eight, strong as an ox, but I'm not.

I need to do something to throw as far as them and my skill is my

speed. One of the favourites coming in here, struggled a bit under the

pressure. Cam Morse pull-out a big threat? No, not quite. Everybody in

British discus throwing knows this guy can throw well. His current

coach knows there is a world-class tower in Brett Morse. A future

British record holder, I am sure. Morse had been coached by Nigel

Bevan, who had taken him from junior level to the brink of world-

class standard but his form as a senior had been inconsistent so in

the autumn of 2011 he decided to change coach. I wanted to be like

this guy, a discus coach, he has coached guys who were like me, all

about speed and his emphasis on speed, so I thought I would do it.

Most athletes see their coaches almost every day but not Brett

Morse. His Icelandic coach is based in Sweden. He sees him on training

camps but most of the time receives his coaching regimes of life. His

practice throws a film that he emails the footage for analysis.

After reviewing the clips his coach provides feedback. I really liked

the first one... He coaches a lot of athletes this way, from afar.

The way we are doing it because I can't get to know him, I can't get

to be too friendly with him, so I like it this way because he is the

boss and he tells me what to do and that is the way it has to be. As

long as I stick to my programme and see a specialist, the conditioning

guys, those kinds of people, I will be fine.

Ranked 19th in the world as he goes all out to gain his place for

London his aims are far more than just becoming the first Welsh throw

it to reach an Olympic final. time last year, just being in the

Olympics, it was amazing to get picked for Team GB but now, because

I made the final in Daegu, exactly the same people, basically the same

competition apart from the Olympics, which is huge, so I feel if I

compete well I can make it into the top five, and if you are good

enough to get into the top five, maybe the top three. I know saying

bronze medal as a bit like, oh my God, but I would not write myself

off. I am capable if I get it right on the day.

And moorland and added 12 profiles in next week's programme. -- 0

London 2012 profiles. Now the biggest stories of the last seven

days. Congratulations to Gyan Thomas, part of the British team

pursuit who won the gold medal at the World Track Cycling

Championships in Melbourne. They beat Australia in the final in a

world record time of 53.295 seconds. It reminds me of Manchester before,

when the Danes pushed as hard there and we broke the world record. We

made a lot of games after that and I am sure we will do the same now.

Three Welsh rowers have boosted their Olympic hopes after being

selected for the GB World Cup squad. Victoria Thornley has been named in

the women's quad, Chris Barkley in the men's lightweight four and Tom

James will be an immense four or eight. I am either in the eight or

the 4th. We have a good chance of winning a gold medal. It is a win-

win. Further injury problems for Glamorgan bowler James Harris. He

could miss it to the first month of the season as he looks to recover

from a mystery groin injury. The Cardiff Devils have qualified for

the Elite League play-off finals after beating Coventry Blades. They

will pay -- play the Belfast Giants in Nottingham tomorrow with the

whinnied facing the whole stingrays or the Nottingham Panthers on

Sunday. Former Swansea player Giorgio Chinaglia has died aged 65.

He started his career at the Vetch Field. He is one of the pioneers of

the North American Soccer League with Pele and Beckenbauer. On

Wednesday Wrexham player manager Andy Morrell side two year contract

extension. The 37-year-old's new deal is to be player-manager for

one more year, then a second year as racecourse boss. In a

Championship, Cardiff City remain outside the play-off spots after a

goalless draw with Millwall. This header was ruled out. Next up,

Middlesbrough tomorrow, followed by Watford. We want to win games. Over

the weekend we have two tough games and we have to make sure we try to

come out of this weekend as positively as we can going into the

last four. Back to rugby and it is a tough

European weekend for the Blues and the scarlet. Tomorrow night, the

Blues had to Leinster. On Sunday, the Scarlets had to Brive in their

quarter-final in the Amlin Challenge Cup. Gwyn Jones reflects

on the prospects of Welsh success this weekend.

After all the euphoria of a third Welsh Grand Slam in the past eight

years and with Wales now ranked as one of the best teams in the world

comes a Blues and this -- can the Blues and the scarlet spilled on

that momentum by going all the way Europe? Well, for the Blues, ranked

4th at the start of this year's Heineken Cup, their preparations to

face Leinster in Dublin could not have gone much worse. There was

that woeful performance last weekend in Glasgow that was

described by their own coach as embarrassing. And if that wasn't

depressing enough, Gavin Henson grabbed the headlines again but for

all the wrong reasons. So just how do you prepare a team after a

weekend like that? There has been a tough couple of days to accept, but

the decision was made to cover now the focus has been on the Aviva

Stadium on Saturday evening. Things have happened off and on the pitch,

it isn't ideal, but it happens sometimes but the game is too big

to concentrate on things that have happened in Glasgow. Even more bad

news for the Blues when Jamie Roberts was ruled out of action but

six months with a cruciate ligament injury but at the same time

Leinster have been boosted by the return of the inspirational Brian

O'Driscoll for stab as much as your bread and butter, you want to be

competing against Europe's best. Alas state game this weekend is

exactly the -- a last eight game is the tonic I need after five months

out. Leinster are overwhelming favourites and their aim is to be

the best passing side in Europe. I believe the Blues must slowdown

leads to's high speed offence, compete hard, gamble by putting

more bodies in the tackle area to frustrate Leinster and try and get

their hands on the ball in a tackle to stop the offload and stop men

still going to ground to recycle. The consistency we have managed to

show over the last two of three months is brought forward and if

anything raised the standard because when you get to the

knockout stages of Europe the best teams carry on through into the

semi-finals and finals, so we have to make sure we are in that side.

The Blues have a man to cope with pressure as he proved with that

penalty to seek Wales' win backing debris. The Heineken Cup game was

one of the biggest games of the season so far and if you can't

score in Leinster in the quarter- final, with a packed stadium, you

would never get up for a game, so a huge game and I am looking forward

to it. Two sings the Blues can do this weekend. They can use that the

negative press and criticism to create a siege mentality. No one

likes us but we don't care. They could create some much needed team

spirit. Most of the attention has been on the Blues, the Scarlets

have been preparing for the trip to Brive in their quarter-final of the

Amlin Challenge Cup. Brive -- Brive may not be intimidating a hostile,

who can forget the game in 1997, the infamous Battle of Brive?

also unseemly and unsightly, it is absolutely mayhem. In fact the

Scarlett should have nothing to fear, having beaten them home and

away two years ago. The French side are struggling in their domestic

championship this year. But it will be tough. This is their only chance

of silverware and to get something back for the team and for the fans

of Brive editors going to be very noisy and hopefully some good

weather and a hostile place for the Scarlett to play. On Sunday the

Scarlets pak+ avoid -- must avoid trench warfare and must do a smash-

and-grab with the ball coming using the power of George North and

Jonathan Davies to maximum effect. We must go out there was a real

edge and a good start to promote the crowd, turning on the home team.

It is difficult prospect and the boys will relish it. It will be one

in the backs. If Brive can contain the likes of George North, the

Brive with their passion and fans behind them will get the result.

Camp the Welsh side make it through to the semi-final? For the Blues it

is too much to ask but for the Scarlets there is a realistic hope.

We can talk about some matters on the pitch now. It is a massive task

for the Blues, they have won only five times in 20 attempts against

Leinster. It is, the current European champions shows --

champions. They are worthy champions. The Ospreys had a great

win a couple of weeks ago. It is a big ask but having said that Welsh

teams seem to do well as underdogs and they'd go into the Aviva

Stadium, is that a good thing for the Blues? I think it is. It is a

big occasion, they have very little to lose. On the flipside of that,

things clearly are not all well behind the scenes. There are some

player issues, players leaving, keep injuries to people like Sam

Warburton and Jamie Roberts, who leads to would have feared on their

day. But they are not there. But for me the Blues have it but --

haven't functioned of late. There are problems with their game, their

set pieces are not functioning and for all the ability and effort what

people around the field, the scrum hasn't gone well. That is somewhere

they need to get some parity of their going to get anything out of

the game. The Scarlets had to Brive. A tough task. It is a tough task

but they are not a top side. They have lost three of their last six

at home. IC the Scarlets having a chance. They have six Grand Slam

people in their midst, and Ben Morgan, so they should go there

with confidence. For meat, and I am sure the supporters, there has been

a lot of talk about this team now but it is all about silverware for

the Scarlets. They haven't won any silverware since 2003-four. It is

about time we saw some. Are you enjoying life away from the

Ospreys? I am. I haven't known much difference for the last ten or 15

years but I am enjoying being with my family, dinning gardening and