‘Gatland has the players on edge’

Mar 3 2008 South Wales Echo

GAVIN Henson has revealed how Warren Gatland has been keeping the entire Wales squad on edge ahead of the Triple Crown showdown with Ireland at Croke Park on Saturday.

The Ospreys centre has told how the fear of being left out in one of the head coach’s notorious selection changes is driving all the players on.

“I made a mistake last week in training and got shouted at, it was my turn last week I think!,” said Henson.

“We had a bad training day once and I heard Warren at lunchtime then speaking his mind, ‘maybe I should change the team?’

“I thought, ‘oh God, is he serious, just after training?’, so people are just working as hard as they can.

“Everyone can see that we’re a good team, a good squad, and everyone wants to be in that starting team.

“We can really feel it’s going to be a good year, we felt like that before we met up for the England game.

“Everybody wants to be involved because we can see these are really good coaches and they’re going to take us to some good places.”

Henson insists he is becoming a better player under the guidance of Gatland, Shaun Edwards and Rob Howley.

He added: “I feel I’m learning every day and that’s what you want as a player from a coach – to teach you new things and show you a way of playing which inspires you.

“It’s been refreshing, a different approach to other coaches I’ve had before and that’s what you need.

“They’re pretty strict and that’s good, there’s a lot of respect there and players are on the edge all the time.

“I don’t think any of us feel comfortable that we’re going to be in the team the next week.”

delme.parfitt@mediawales.co.uk