No Dublin horror repeat, vows Henson

Mar 7 2008 by Paul Abbandonato, Western Mail

GAVIN HENSON is ready to run a gauntlet of abuse at Croke Park tomorrow, but is vowing to have the last laugh for Triple Crown-chasing Wales.

Henson knows he is walking into a hostile Dublin environment after admitting the Irish fans “don’t seem to like me”.

The glamour star of the Welsh game was given a barrage of flak when he played for his country during a Lansdowne Road walloping two years ago.

Henson admits he expects a similar hot reception tomorrow, but maintains the boos, brickbats and catcalls won’t put him off his game.

Last time in Dublin, Henson’s game capitulated under the pressure and Wales were hammered 31-5.

But he plans to put that horror experience to good use tomorrow, insisting, “I think I’ve learned from the last occasion out there. What happened then can actually help me this time.”

Henson’s off-the-field image appeared to be held against him by some Irish fans. He was also unpopular in the Emerald Isle for accusing Brian O’Driscoll of eye gouging during the Grand Slam game in Cardiff the previous year.

Henson started the 31-5 defeat as a replacement, his first game back for Wales after missing a large chunk of the season through injury and suspension.

But he had to enter the white-hot Lansdowne Road cauldron early, following an injury to Stephen Jones, and struggled at outside-half as the Irish fans turned on him.

“It was a nightmare really,” recalled Henson. “I hardly knew any of the moves, I had just been drafted into the squad.

“I took what happened personally, was really down about it afterwards. But I have been in hostile environments before, especially in Ireland. They don’t seem to like me over there.

“I’m sure it will be absolutely no different this time, although I learned from the last experience and hopefully I will play much better this time.”

Henson and the rest of the Welsh squad flew out to Dublin from Cardiff International Airport yesterday to begin final preparations for the big game.

They were cheered off by a huge number of hopeful fans, thousands of whom are travelling across the Irish Sea expecting to see Gatland’s team make it four wins out of four in this season’s Six Nations.

Wales will train at Croke Park this morning, the first time most of the players will have seen the palatial 80,000-seater venue close up.

Henson insisted the new venue would suit Wales down to the ground.

“We’re playing Ireland at Croke Park, not Lansdowne Road, so it should be just like any other stadium. There won’t be the fear factor there,” he stated.

Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan was forced to change his line-up yesterday when full back rivals Geordan Murphy and Girvan Dempsey each failed fitness tests.

O’Sullivan gave the pair until lunchtime to prove their availability for the big showdown. But their failure to recover in time forced O’Sullivan to implement his contingency plan, with Rob Kearney of Leinster moving from left wing to full-back.

Opsreys-bound Tommy Bowe switches flanks to take Kearney’s place on the left, Shane Horgan is called up from the bench to plug the gap at 14 and Leinster’s Luke Fitzgerald is called into the squad.