What happened to Hugo Ellis?

The other year I saw some England age group games v France at Henley.

Amongst the players I saw were Ben Youngs and Graham Kitcenher (played for the Saxons - rather well - last Saturday) and Noah Cato who all looked very good, as did a few others.

But the one who looked incredible was Ellis. He was big (no 8) and superb in the line out, very mobile and quick footed, strong defender nd a superb ball handler. Looked a dead set star.

he moved onto NGD last year, one of a number of exoduses from the (not so) mighty Wasps

What a waste

Wasps didn't seem interested in him, as he spent a good part of a season on loan to London Welsh.

I think we were loaning out to get experience. I guess a judgement call was made on his long term prospects and it was decided to let him move on.

Not exactly a brilliant way to improve the club, when so many of our best players have left (or are the wrong side of 30)

Hopefully the likes of Lindsay, Vunipola and Wade can step up to the plate and take their chances

I'm almost envious of 'Quins upcoming players

What is it with Wasps that they put on "showcase" matches and then get stuffed in them? The St Georges Day match last year, and this LV (miss)match.

Someone should tell Steve Hayes that he needs to get the playing side in order before worrying about a super 20K seater stadium. If he was hoping the LV adventure would find a rich Arab investor then any such investors will be looking to invest in Quins now!

I like Tony Hanks - a nice guy, but although he is a superb analyst (it was him who spotted the way we could beat Leicester at the HC final) I don't think he is DoR material yet.

Shaun Edwards needs to be full time with either Wasps or Wales. Part time isn't working properly.

I am not sure what Trevor Woodman has bought to the party. Sometimes the forward paltform is completely ineffective. How about bringing back Dowd?

Alex King is doing a great job as Backs coach in France. It was originally suggested he would be coming back to Wasps as a coach. I think we need him, or Rob Howley!, now.

will the last player leaving the Ospreys please turn out the lights....

Now Byrne is off now too. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,195...715812,00.html

can we have Adam Jones, we need decent a decent prop

We'll get more NWQs or Non Welsh qualified and develop the already prodigious talent coming from the academy so that our team isn't completely decimated by the AIs and the six nations for little return.

Golden Gavin decides he can't have the six nations lugging all the limelight so want to go over to Toulon
Link is en Francais
http://www.lequipe.fr/Rugby/breves20...de-toulon.html

As long as Craig Mitchell tames the England loose head on Friday then we'll consider it

A rather amusing translation of the latest in the Henson saga

Rugby - Signal 14
Henson, medical joker of Toulon?
The odd Welsh center Gavin Henson should begin with the RCT until the end of season in the hope to dispute the World cup.

Whereas it had returned to the competition with Saracens, Gavin Henson could join the RC Toulon. (EQ)
INFORMATION the TEAM: Gavin Henson should sign with the RC Toulon a contract of medical joker - in the place of Clement Marienval - until the end of season. Mourad Boudjellal, the president of the of the department of Var club, will officialize it tomorrow morning, except hitch, at the time of a press conference. This astonishing signature of an attacker which played four matches since twenty and one month should make much noise in the United Kingdom where Henson is an immense star. Who largely overflowed of the grounds of Rugby. Ex-companion of the singer Charlotte Church, Henson, 29 years since Tuesday, is not really any more regarded as a high level rugby player. After having put its career between bracket to take part in the emission of TV-reality Strictly like dance hall, a very on the other side of the channel followed contest of dance, it tried a come-back.


FIRST CONTACT ONE MONTH AGO
In November, it had joined Saracens for, said it, “to become the best player of the world”. It disputed four meetings with the English club but, one says, would not feel there very well. The first contacts with Toulon go back to one month, approximately. The RCT had probed it for the next season. But all has accelerated for one week and the painful victory over La Rochelle (12-9). Boudjellal, which had met Henson some time ago, would have spoken with somebody eager to become again a true player and, especially, dreaming to dispute the World cup with Country-of-Wales in New Zealand (September 9-October 23).


NOT VERY HIGH CONTRACT BUT STRONG NO-CLAIMS BONUS
One did not expect at all to see Henson rebounding on the side of the Roads but Mourad Boudjellal would be to lay out to try this enormous bet for several reasons; initially because it is precisely an enormous bet; then, because the contract suggested with Henson would be, according to our information, relatively low but together with strong no-claims bonus for good performances; finally because Jonny Wilkinson absent for two months due to Tournament, Felipe Contepomi wounded against La Rochelle, it wishes the reinforcement of an element of experiment. What Henson (31 selections, two Large Slam in 2005 and 2009) is on paper. Remains the ground?

Wednesday, the odd Welshman met Philippe Saint-Andrew, the manager, then lunched in a brewery of the center of Toulon with Boudjellal. The contract is not initialed, the player did not pass the medical visit yet, but the business could be regulated in the next hours. In this case, Henson would set out again a few days in London before returning at the beginning of next week and playing as of on Friday 11 against Brive. Because Mourad Boudjellal is pressed, Henson also with which it remains 9 matches of Signal 14 - minimum - to convince Warren Gatland, the selector of Wales. Arnaud REQUENNA

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

Henson is a show pony.

Wouldn't want him anywhere near my team

I have a two Welsh work colleagues who can wax lyrical on why the self obsessed spotlight hunter shouldn't be anywher near the national team ever again. They can make me appear like a fan of the man

Not a total SP. He can lead a defensive line very well and is a potent attacking force when given a forward platform. The attitude is the biggest problem though , doesn't seem to register there being no "I" in "team". You have to realise that attitudes towards him in Wales were largely dependant on whether you were an Ospreys supporter like myself or not. Scarlets fans in particular were pretty venemous in there criticism of him which was no surprise given the rivalry.

Attitudes are very dependant on which region you support. The bottom line is unless you were an Ospreys supporter, Gavin Henson was an overrated show pony as you say. I would be very surprised Frood, if your Welsh colleagues are Ospreys fans. Sometimes regional rivalry blinds one from the real truth. As an Ospreys season ticket holder I have seen Gavin play rugby for his region many times and barely any of the venom directed towards his rugby prowess holds up to scrutiny.

Sadly now, he is an SEP or someone else's problem.

I know nothing of Rugby. But I know an overated sportsman when I see one.
GH has gone a bit Beckham.
Even his missus ditched him.
I reckon GH spends more time preening than training. A shame to the Welches.

Confirmed now that Saracens have released him. Well they didn't put up much of a fight did they - more hassle than he's worth i suspect.

Holy understatement

If I were Gatland I wouldn't let him anywhere near the Wales squad

If he was serious about rugby, he wouldn't have gone anywhere near Strictly and would have concentrated on his rugby

IMO he is only a rugby player when he can be bothered and has let showbiz go to his head

I had a comedy moment with someone trying to sell me ticket to a Saracens golf day yesterday, as my company does a lot of their coorporate events and I was talking to him about this prior to it going public from what Vaughan6477 had posted he had no idea what was going on. He said "really but he has only just signed??"

I think the fella is a bit lost, the dancing thing was a huge mistake.

That was a good find that was great spot.

Actually one is a London Welsh supporter. The other lives in Swansea but I don't think he follows a particular rugby team (more of a soccer man) but is clued in on the game.


I seem to recall him commenting once that he wouldn't want to run out onto the field unless his hair was properly 'gelled'.

I thought back to the likes of Willie Duggan, Jason Leonard and J.P.R.Williams and tried to imagine their reaction to that.

I remember a telling comment when a panel of ex players were discussing the last Lions squad and the ideal XV.

Someone suggested Henson.

Lawrance Dallaglio (a man whose views, I'm sure all would agree, are worth respecting) said something like:

"The problem with Gavin Henson for me is - it's the last ten minutes of a tight game. Can you gaurantee that he will be 'there', rock solid, beside you, and dependable."

Dallaglio wasn't confident he would be - and none of the others disagreed with him.

I've seen show ponies in a number of sports - and that's one of the things that tends to be true about them.

So the guy has a big mouth, says the wrong things so what. Why do people get so hung up about this? On the field is what matters.

I don't know why I am defending him so much, he isn't an Osprey anymore and he certainly has not reached the prime of his ability even going as far as to purposely waste it. He has done quite a lot for Wales and the Os and many wish he had more to give.

Henson joins Toulon.... for five months

I think Henson is a good player, he just needs to be playing regularly

Well said.

Also massively overhyped.

A few years ago on The Rugby Club (Sky Sports magazine programme) they were going on about how good he was every week.

To support this they kept showing one piece of action.

I got to thinking if he was that good they'd have more than one.......

Better players have had nowhere near the attention.