The guy could have been one of the absolute greats. He had it all, he was quick, strong, an excellent defender a good distributor and such a balanced runner. His passing was top notch too. And even though he won two grand slams theres always the 'what if' when it comes to henson. He wasted his talent
Bollocks (in the nicest possible way!). He didn't waste his talent it was wasted for him. He was played at a different position every week. It tore us up to watch it, but Swansea then the O's never stopped moving him about. If he had been played consistantly, he would have been there.
He spent far too much time in Church so to speak. He had the potential to be one of the utter greats of Welsh rugby but sadly we will always be left with just ideas of what might have been. He could have been there right through until 2015 or later. Amazing boot, superb tackling skills and as strong as. Horse in his running and hand offs. What might have been eh....
What more do you want from him? 2 grand slams and played for the best team in Wales at the time with the Ospreys. Can't get much higher lol Oh and that's not even going into the injuries he had. Hate when people talk rubbish. His talent wasn't wasted
He had it all, a near perfect 12 on his day. But he couldn't resist the lure of fame and celebrity and it just messed with his head. Will always have the 2005 and 2008 Grandslams on his resume but they'll always be the 'what if' if he stayed injury free and kept his head.
Injury was the biggest problem. The “celebrity” stuff is overblown by the media and people in the game who don’t like him personally. He played well for the majority for his career when he was Match fit
That first take is still one of the best takes I've ever seen! Taking a ball like that at full speed without breaking stride, making it look effortless is god level skills!
I watched this guy from being player of the tournament at the Cwmtawe 7s to knocking it on the head. A great player to watch - that try vs. Ulster raised the roof - with astonishing skills. The best kicker out of hand I have ever seen, sound defence and inventive. He had massive off-days but we didn't really care. Had he been played consistantly he would be legend for all the best reasons. He signed my lad's programme every St. Helens game, too!
As probably most will remember him by being a wasted talent. But he sure did some great things while at his best. I still remember his stats on Rugby 08 and it was mind-blowing
People claim wasted talent but that's rubbish. He was hampered with injuries but because he was big in the media people assumed his talent was wasted on that
He was an absolute joy to watch! One of the most naturally gifted players ever. He was an all rounder but a world class all rounder. Such a shame his career for Wales was so short. If he could have focussed on the game, his talents would have put him in the same bracket as Dan Carter. And much like Danny Cipriani, his ego was his downfall.
One of the best players i have ever seen in a Wales shirt. One of his unsong traits was drawing the tackle. He was an absolute artist at committing the tackle and using his soft hands to slip the ball away just as he got hit. It took bravery to do that and he did it time and again. Jamie Roberts famously didnt like the hype around Gavin and it had an affect on the Wales team. Gatlands dream was Gav 12 and Roberts 13....it never came off.
I used to really dislike this guy, thinking he was rather arrogant and aloof, but now I'm fascinated by him and think he was a tremendous player, and I wish his playing career was longer and didn't have so many interruptions.
Amazing defence, drop a goal form anywhere, knew were the space was with a floating passes, off load specialist, a 22 kick to opposing 22 kicker. great in the air, amazing goal kicker, and a very strong runner....... Legend that did not like the politics of Rugby. He will always be on my team sheet of my fantasy world 15.
An iconic talisman player who happened to be Welsh and as such an open target for the English gutter press. Never forgave him for those two tackles and penalty so he had to be sidelined. I believe that poor Reece Zamit, another very different but another talisman of a player has been sidelined too.
Henson THE most under rated player in the world. His talent was taken for granted. The expectation was pilled upon him often asking him to do the impossible. Then when he failed he got berated for his efforts. I would even go so far as to say Henson was bullied by the press. For me he was the best rugby player I have ever seen. I loved how he would seem to be gently jogging but his sudden burst of speed and balance took him away rom would be tacklers. The guy had it all. Enjoy your retirement Gav you earnt it.
Wales were always a dangerous proposition with Henson in the team. Similar in some ways to Cipriani with the off field dramas/fake tans/leg shaving taking away from someone who was an absolute talent when he was younger.
Cipriani is overrated by the English because their fans are desperate for someone with flair. Henson was literally a first choice guarantee for every team he played for when he was match fit
He was one of the best if you break his game down, what was the bad at ? he was one of the best passes of the ball ,he was the top of his game at tackling, he was great at the breakdown ,his kicking pressure proved to be match-winning and while all this was happening, he was never selfish with the ball, always looking for the next player. short lived career, but one of the very best!
Oh God when I think about what might have been with a bit more application. Absolutely ridiculous ability... up there with Dan Carter but once he went off the rails he never really came back
The name doesn't ring a bell 😬 though the face is very familiar.....am guessing from all the rugby videoes I have watched but damn....he was really something I admit 👏👏👏👏
Say what you will, there was always an aire of excitement whenever he got the ball. I loved watching him always. You can't say that about Billy Beaumont can you and he got to the top didn't he. 😂
Could of been one of rugby’s greats if a few more things went way. The 2011-2015 Welsh team could of been up there with the great team of the 70’s if players like Hook, Henson and Byrne didn’t have such a awful time with injury at that point. When all were fit Wales would of had about 30 lions in their squad. Pretty sure Ian Evans would of been the only starter not to start in a lions test match.
He was failed by the WRU, they lacked the ability to see they had a hugely talented manchild on their hands. Talented enough not to be just one of Wales's greats, but perhaps the greatest back of all time, regardless of 10,12, 13, 15 positioning. But like too many talented individuals he was flawed. After all few of us are perfect. But he was so special in his hayday, he needed a mentor, a chaperone, someone to guide his fragile ego, and keep his alcohol consumption under control. Without question he sparked the Welsh grandslam renaissance, and by doing so saved Welsh rugby for another generation. What a travesty.
@Gareth Hawkins Also, I get it, I hate using the word "wasted" when talking about him but it honestly kind of hurts to think of what he could of been, and not all of it is his fault obviously, a lot of it is due to injury of course.
England has won more grand slams n 6 Nations and made it to 4 RWC finals and has won more games against Wales meh what are you smoking? Having said that Henson was a great player.
He was dropped by the selectors before his twentieth birthday for being too arrogant ,then later brought back,then Charlotte came along,and the rest is history,could have had 100 caps,what a waste of a great talent.
How the fuck was he not chosen for the 2003 World Cup? How was he not first choice centre for the 2005 Lions? Why oh why did he release that stupid bloody book?????
@@EllliotJackRussel1 yeah that’s right. The fullback options were really bare back in those days. Wasn’t fair on Henson or Hook to always step in because the other options were so shockingly bad
Come on now, I'm not Welsh but I know he was definitely above average in every facet of outhalf play, could be lazy at 12 but his kicks out of hand in his prime were possibly the best in the world.
What has he actually done, apart from showing promise? You're focusing on his highlights. You can make any player look great with a highlight video. He was hot and cold, often very cold. Undisciplined on top of that. He was good, nowhere near as good as people would have him be, hence overrated.
@@tg689 his passing, handling and playmaking was elite. His kicking out of hand, at goal was world class. His defence was elite. He was physical and could palm off and ride contact. Gatland said Henson was always his first choice 12. I think I trust his opinion more than some guy who says “he’s just above average”. If you don’t like his personality then just say so but don’t go spouting utter shite. His career was ruined by injury and he was a bit of a dick. Maybe Gatland, Mike Ruddock and all the other coaches who started him are overrated idiots too who don’t know as well as you?
2 words: PURE CLASS
The dude had all the skills in the book
The guy could have been one of the absolute greats. He had it all, he was quick, strong, an excellent defender a good distributor and such a balanced runner. His passing was top notch too. And even though he won two grand slams theres always the 'what if' when it comes to henson. He wasted his talent
Bollocks (in the nicest possible way!). He didn't waste his talent it was wasted for him. He was played at a different position every week. It tore us up to watch it, but Swansea then the O's never stopped moving him about. If he had been played consistantly, he would have been there.
They wouldn’t be making these tributes to him if he wasted his talent 🤷🏼♂️🏴👍
He spent far too much time in Church so to speak. He had the potential to be one of the utter greats of Welsh rugby but sadly we will always be left with just ideas of what might have been. He could have been there right through until 2015 or later. Amazing boot, superb tackling skills and as strong as. Horse in his running and hand offs. What might have been eh....
@@simonpilk "In Church". I saw that. I saw what you just did there. Well played.
What more do you want from him? 2 grand slams and played for the best team in Wales at the time with the Ospreys. Can't get much higher lol
Oh and that's not even going into the injuries he had. Hate when people talk rubbish. His talent wasn't wasted
He had it all, a near perfect 12 on his day. But he couldn't resist the lure of fame and celebrity and it just messed with his head. Will always have the 2005 and 2008 Grandslams on his resume but they'll always be the 'what if' if he stayed injury free and kept his head.
Injury was the biggest problem. The “celebrity” stuff is overblown by the media and people in the game who don’t like him personally. He played well for the majority for his career when he was Match fit
That first take is still one of the best takes I've ever seen! Taking a ball like that at full speed without breaking stride, making it look effortless is god level skills!
Absolutely agree. To this day.
I watched this guy from being player of the tournament at the Cwmtawe 7s to knocking it on the head. A great player to watch - that try vs. Ulster raised the roof - with astonishing skills. The best kicker out of hand I have ever seen, sound defence and inventive. He had massive off-days but we didn't really care. Had he been played consistantly he would be legend for all the best reasons. He signed my lad's programme every St. Helens game, too!
As probably most will remember him by being a wasted talent. But he sure did some great things while at his best.
I still remember his stats on Rugby 08 and it was mind-blowing
He was fantastic to play with in that game.
the only problem in that Rugby 08 Welsh backline was that Stephen Jones wasn't available
Henson 12 and BOD 13 was playing the game on easy mode
People claim wasted talent but that's rubbish. He was hampered with injuries but because he was big in the media people assumed his talent was wasted on that
He was an absolute joy to watch! One of the most naturally gifted players ever. He was an all rounder but a world class all rounder. Such a shame his career for Wales was so short. If he could have focussed on the game, his talents would have put him in the same bracket as Dan Carter. And much like Danny Cipriani, his ego was his downfall.
We used to refer to him as 'The Sun' in Wales because he was big, orange & didn't shine enough. A great player when he wanted to be.
Had the potential to be talked about in the same ilk as Dan Carter. What a once in a lifetime talent
Whenever I hear this guys name I remember EA sports Rugby 08
The kicking powerful is just unreal
😄I agree, mate! was one of my favourite kickers in the game, especially in the World League!!
Such a gifted and intuitive player and so exciting to watch.
One of the best players i have ever seen in a Wales shirt. One of his unsong traits was drawing the tackle. He was an absolute artist at committing the tackle and using his soft hands to slip the ball away just as he got hit. It took bravery to do that and he did it time and again. Jamie Roberts famously didnt like the hype around Gavin and it had an affect on the Wales team. Gatlands dream was Gav 12 and Roberts 13....it never came off.
I used to really dislike this guy, thinking he was rather arrogant and aloof, but now I'm fascinated by him and think he was a tremendous player, and I wish his playing career was longer and didn't have so many interruptions.
Amazing defence, drop a goal form anywhere, knew were the space was with a floating passes, off load specialist, a 22 kick to opposing 22 kicker. great in the air, amazing goal kicker, and a very strong runner....... Legend that did not like the politics of Rugby. He will always be on my team sheet of my fantasy world 15.
Would still make my Welsh dream team. So exciting to watch play.
Amazing all round player, defence, reading of the game, kicker, attack, had it all.
As a kiwi, i loved watching Gavin Henson play rugby. Talent to be sure!
An iconic talisman player who happened to be Welsh and as such an open target for the English gutter press. Never forgave him for those two tackles and penalty so he had to be sidelined. I believe that poor Reece Zamit, another very different but another talisman of a player has been sidelined too.
Henson THE most under rated player in the world. His talent was taken for granted. The expectation was pilled upon him often asking him to do the impossible. Then when he failed he got berated for his efforts. I would even go so far as to say Henson was bullied by the press. For me he was the best rugby player I have ever seen. I loved how he would seem to be gently jogging but his sudden burst of speed and balance took him away rom would be tacklers. The guy had it all. Enjoy your retirement Gav you earnt it.
Most talented player I've ever seen outside of maybe Dupont. He could do absolutely anything he wanted on his day.
Excellent player, Andrew. Thanks for following my recommendation
. :D Greetings from Argentina.
If he had concentrated on his Rugby career instead of show business he could have been one of the modern greats 🏴🏴🏴
Wales were always a dangerous proposition with Henson in the team. Similar in some ways to Cipriani with the off field dramas/fake tans/leg shaving taking away from someone who was an absolute talent when he was younger.
Cipriani is overrated by the English because their fans are desperate for someone with flair. Henson was literally a first choice guarantee for every team he played for when he was match fit
The timing of his passes. Brilliant.
Fave player, managed to get himself onto EA rugby games as a star player too. Not an easy thing to do. And he's a beast in that game too
Hand off like a stiff jab. He was an amazing talent.
Just let all the bull shit of life in the limelight and over inflated ego get in the way
Running,passing,kicking,tackling what a player he was.
People don't appreciate how much bad luck he had with injuries.
to think i literally played against this man in football sunday league yesterday is amazing
LEGENDARY
I’ve met him twice and he’s a really nice guy
Real quality
Next Season he will play rugby League with West Wales Raiders in League 1 the third english level .
He was one of the best if you break his game down, what was the bad at ? he was one of the best passes of the ball ,he was the top of his game at tackling, he was great at the breakdown ,his kicking pressure proved to be match-winning and while all this was happening, he was never selfish with the ball, always looking for the next player. short lived career, but one of the very best!
World Class
This guy showed people how to fend and kick and tackle
His talent was undeniable shame about his personal life. Could of been one of the greats
Is he still going out 😮with Charlotte church?
Oh God when I think about what might have been with a bit more application. Absolutely ridiculous ability... up there with Dan Carter but once he went off the rails he never really came back
And he's back playing !! Little episode on Gavin's return to rugby here 🏉🏉ruclips.net/video/SApMH0Y5RPU/видео.html
The real prince of Wales
The name doesn't ring a bell 😬 though the face is very familiar.....am guessing from all the rugby videoes I have watched but damn....he was really something I admit 👏👏👏👏
Imagine he had the right stuff off the pitch
What a player he was
Say what you will, there was always an aire of excitement whenever he got the ball. I loved watching him always. You can't say that about Billy Beaumont can you and he got to the top didn't he. 😂
Could of been one of rugby’s greats if a few more things went way. The 2011-2015 Welsh team could of been up there with the great team of the 70’s if players like Hook, Henson and Byrne didn’t have such a awful time with injury at that point. When all were fit Wales would of had about 30 lions in their squad. Pretty sure Ian Evans would of been the only starter not to start in a lions test match.
He honestly could have been world class but his ego fucked it. Such a shame.
The Wales coach who didn't select him for the 2003 world cup squad made a massive mistake.
He was failed by the WRU, they lacked the ability to see they had a hugely talented manchild on their hands. Talented enough not to be just one of Wales's greats, but perhaps the greatest back of all time, regardless of 10,12, 13, 15 positioning. But like too many talented individuals he was flawed. After all few of us are perfect. But he was so special in his hayday, he needed a mentor, a chaperone, someone to guide his fragile ego, and keep his alcohol consumption under control. Without question he sparked the Welsh grandslam renaissance, and by doing so saved Welsh rugby for another generation. What a travesty.
He would have loved the 50:22
Imagine if the 50:22 had been a rule during his career...
Thank you for this video.
Such a wasted talent....
@Gareth Hawkins Of course that was a great moment and could be considered enough, but he had so much more to offer than just his kicking...
@Gareth Hawkins Also, I get it, I hate using the word "wasted" when talking about him but it honestly kind of hurts to think of what he could of been, and not all of it is his fault obviously, a lot of it is due to injury of course.
Perhaps unfulfilled is the word- he did achieve some tremendous things, but if the injuries and the mind had been properly managed...
@@RolloZx exactly
England has won more grand slams n 6 Nations and made it to 4 RWC finals and has won more games against Wales meh what are you smoking? Having said that Henson was a great player.
He was dropped by the selectors before his twentieth birthday for being too arrogant ,then later brought back,then Charlotte came along,and the rest is history,could have had 100 caps,what a waste of a great talent.
How the fuck was he not chosen for the 2003 World Cup? How was he not first choice centre for the 2005 Lions?
Why oh why did he release that stupid bloody book?????
Tommy Bowe blew threw him in 2009 in Cardiff
He was a replacement for Lee Byrne. I think he stated he felt not fully comfortable at FB, being primarly a playmaker at 12 or 10.
@@EllliotJackRussel1 yeah that’s right. The fullback options were really bare back in those days. Wasn’t fair on Henson or Hook to always step in because the other options were so shockingly bad
Hell of a boot sir. Hell of a boot
What a waste of a great talent thanks to the influence of one Charlotte Church. Thankfully Duffy didn't get the better of Mike Phillips
Also first
first
A terrible waste of a world class talent .
Good player. His problem was that he wasn't as good as he thought he was.
He was better
Criminally overrated and just-above-average player imo
If that's a genuine opinion, you're the first person iv seen say that
Come on now, I'm not Welsh but I know he was definitely above average in every facet of outhalf play, could be lazy at 12 but his kicks out of hand in his prime were possibly the best in the world.
Well your entitled to your own opinion, but your opinion is bollocks chief
What has he actually done, apart from showing promise? You're focusing on his highlights. You can make any player look great with a highlight video. He was hot and cold, often very cold. Undisciplined on top of that. He was good, nowhere near as good as people would have him be, hence overrated.
@@tg689 his passing, handling and playmaking was elite. His kicking out of hand, at goal was world class. His defence was elite. He was physical and could palm off and ride contact. Gatland said Henson was always his first choice 12. I think I trust his opinion more than some guy who says “he’s just above average”. If you don’t like his personality then just say so but don’t go spouting utter shite. His career was ruined by injury and he was a bit of a dick. Maybe Gatland, Mike Ruddock and all the other coaches who started him are overrated idiots too who don’t know as well as you?