Jenkins: Star status affecting Henson

Wales head coach Gareth Jenkins believes axed centre Gavin Henson is struggling to cope with the pressures of his celebrity status.

Jenkins dropped Henson from the Wales squad for Sunday’s Six Nations clash with Ireland and blamed his disappointing recent performances on off-field distractions and media scrutiny.

Jenkins fears Henson, 25 today, will never rediscover the form that lit up Wales’ Grand Slam season while he continues to live life in a goldfish bowl.

Henson, complete with perma-tan and a tendency to speak his mind, has always caught the public’s imagination. That interest intensified when he began to date singer Charlotte Church.

Jenkins angrily called for the media to end their fixation with Henson the celebrity and let him get back to being Henson the rugby player.

He said: “My concerns about Gavin are based on the pressures surrounding him and the press is one of them.

“He hasn’t got a moment when he isn’t being scrutinised. He is scrutinised far more than any other player and that is hard on him.

“Everything is around Gav. It is outside influences that Gavin is being pressurised with, like this (interview) now.

“We haven’t talked about the starting 15. We haven’t talked about the 22. This is all you seem interested in.”

Jenkins has had to cope with Gareth Thomas’ suspension, which was only imposed today, and the loss of wingers Shane Williams and Mark Jones to injury.

He could have moved Henson to full-back but preferred to keep Kevin Morgan in the 15 jersey and start with Hal Luscombe and Chris Czekaj on the wings.

Even though Henson offers cover in three positions Jenkins was blunt and honest in explaining why there was not even a place for him on the bench.

“He is not good enough to be in this team,” said Jenkins.

“He is one of 33 players around me in this squad and he will be treated like everyone else in terms of selection criteria. I will be judging him week by week during the campaign.

“At the moment he isn’t playing his best rugby, but he is very talented and he is in an environment here where we are working hard.

“In this environment he can demonstrate that eventually he will compete for selection. This doesn’t mean he can’t get back into the Six Nations.

“He is realistic. He knows what he is. He shares my views and he is fine. Whenever I feel it is right to pick him, I will pick him.”

Thomas was named in Wales’ original squad only to be banned by a European Rugby Cup hearing four hours later after pleading guilty to misconduct.

He will miss Wales’ first three Six Nations games, against Ireland on Sunday, Scotland at Murrayfield and then France in Paris.

Up front, Jenkins has named a powerful pack with Worcester tight-head prop Chris Horsman starting alongside Cardiff duo Rhys Thomas and loose-head Gethin Jenkins in the front row.

Alix Popham starts at blind-side flanker with Alan Wyn Jones moving into the second row in place of the injured Ian Evans.

Jenkins has targeted the Irish scrum as a potential weakness and was an interested observer as both Leinster and Munster struggled up front in recent Heineken Cup games.

Jenkins said: “We realise that Ireland scrummage in a particular way. It is a tactical selection because I believe the three players I have picked can challenge Ireland in that area.

“I hope it is a good selection that works because I think we can be effective against them.

“It is not one of Ireland’s strengths, that’s for sure.

“We have some fantastic, quality people in that department, but Sunday will determine whether I have got it right or wrong.”

Wales: K Morgan (Newport Gwent Dragons); H Luscombe (Harlequins), J Robinson (Cardiff Blues), J Hook (Ospreys), C Czekaj (Cardiff Blues); S Jones (Llanelli Scarlets, capt), D Peel (Llanelli Scarlets); G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), R Thomas (Cardiff Blues), C Horsman (Worcester), I Gough (Newport Gwent Dragons), A Wyn Jones (Ospreys), A Popham (Llanelli Scarlets), M Williams (Cardiff Blues), R Jones (Ospreys).

Replacements: M Rees (Llanelli Scarlets), D Jones (Ospreys), R Sidoli (Cardiff Blues), G Thomas (Llanelli Scarlets), M Phillips (Cardiff Blues), C Sweeney (Newport Gwent Dragons), A Brew (Newport Gwent Dragons).