Henson apologises to Welsh squad for book revelations

On a day when both the touring Wallabies and English rugby's governing classes might have considered issuing a public apology or two - the Australians for losing six Tests on the bounce, Twickenham and the Premiership clubs for continuing to indulge in a small-print argument so interminable that it makes the court case in Bleak House look like an open and shut job - Gavin Henson actually performed the deed by dropping to his knees and pleading for mercy.

Having offended rugby folk for years by painting his hair and shaving his legs, the Ospreys centre with the celebrity lifestyle really got on the nerves of his peers by firing bullets at them from the pages of a ghosted diary of last season - a campaign in which he kicked Wales to victory over England in Cardiff before controversially finding himself surplus to requirements on the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand.

On publication of this ill-advised literary masterpiece, Henson strongly defended his decision to tell tales out of school. Yesterday, his tone was rather different. Called into a meeting of his international colleagues on Sunday, 24 hours after Wales's severe hiding at the hands of the All Blacks, the injured midfielder was told his fortune in no uncertain terms and ended up in grovel mode.

"The rest of the squad wanted to make it clear that they were unhappy with some of the things in the book and I have fully taken on board everything they said to me," admitted Henson. "I said in the meeting that I would like to apologise to anyone who was offended by anything that was written and I would like to go on record publicly saying that too. I didn't mean to offend anyone - it's the last thing I wanted to do. We were a close and tight-knit group during our last Six Nations campaign and I don't want to spoil that.

"All I want now is to forget about it. The book's out there - there's nothing more I can do about that - but I'd like to draw a line under the whole thing and move on. I want to get back to playing rugby for the Ospreys and, I hope, perform well enough to be selected by Wales, re-join my international team-mates and move forward."

Gareth Thomas, as much a father confessor to the Wales squad as he is a captain, was instrumental in giving Henson the opportunity to make amends, and he was characteristically generous in his reaction to his team-mate's statement. "It's great he's come out in public and accepted he has been wrong with some of the things he's said," said the full-back. "We needed to discuss it so there was no misunderstanding."

At least Henson came up with something different. The interminable dispute between the Rugby Football Union and its top-flight professional clubs, which flared up nastily after the Lions contingent returned from New Zealand but has in reality been rumbling on for almost a decade, is still the principal subject of debate in and around the boardrooms, and the search for a lasting solution to the club-versus-country issue is entering its most urgent stage - until the next urgent stage, that is.

"We're desperately keen to renew discussions," said Francis Baron, the union's chief executive, aware that the clubs are taking legal action to recover more than £100,000 in Lions compensation money withheld by the RFU and concerned that all co-operation on international release could end the moment the autumn Tests are concluded. "We're willing to meet the clubs more or less any time, but they have yet to come up with some dates that suit them. We can't escape the fact that they've served a writ on us; the legal process has been initiated and in a sense, it will lead its own life. In the real world, meanwhile, we're trying to move this on. Litigation is not the way to solve our problems."

The Wallabies arrived in London licking the wounds inflicted by their latest misfire, against the French in Marseilles last weekend. Defeat against England at Twickenham on Saturday would hole their passionate sporting public below the waterline - it is, after all, only a few weeks since Australian cricket sank to the seabed.

But John Muggleton, their assistant coach, betrayed no sign of panic yesterday. "We're not losing these games by much," said the defensive specialist. "If we weren't taking anything from these matches, we'd be reaching for the razors and slitting our own throats. We could use a win, yes, but our morale is excellent."

* Scotland have handed Dan Parks the chance to impress at stand-off in the Test against Argentina on Saturday. The Glasgow Warriors No 10 was vying with Edinburgh Gunners' Phil Godman for the starting jersey against the Pumas. Mike Blair starts at scrum-half with the Lions tourist Chris Cusiter on the bench.

Scotland (v Argentina, Murrayfield, Saturday): Paterson (Edinburgh Gunners); R Lamont (Glasgow Warriors), Di Rollo (Edinburgh), Henderson (Glasgow), S Lamont (Northampton Saints); Parks (Glasgow), Blair (Edinburgh); Kerr (Leeds Tykes), D Hall (Edinburgh), Douglas (Border Reivers), Hamilton (Glasgow), Murray (Edinburgh), White (Sale Sharks), Taylor (Edinburgh), Hogg (Edinburgh).