Filed under: Rugby Union, Wales Rugby
It was perhaps apt that Gavin Henson claimed he was drinking in the "last chance saloon" ahead of latest international comeback.Henson will end a two-year exile from Wales duty when he returns to face the Barbarians at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.
The centre, who is looking for a club for next season, is fortunate he is so highly rated by coach Warren Gatland.
His form on the pitch has been less than spectacular, his displays off it have only hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Following a stint in the world of celebrity TV shows, Henson returned with Aviva Premiership champions Saracens last December following his self-imposed 21-month sabbatical from rugby.
But frustrated at being played out of position, his short injury-hit stint at the London club was over before it had even started. Henson switched to French big spenders Toulon on a short-term deal, but he wasn't offered a contract for next season and endured a miserable time where he hardly figured.
An off-field bust-up didn't help his cause while an altercation with a team-mate in a bar saw him suspended and all but ending any chance of prolonging his career in the south of France.
Henson, who has been capped 31-times, has won two Grand Slams but is yet to appear in a World Cup. It is clear Gatland wants him in his side, but this recall could be the final chance for Henson to impress if he wants to be on the plane to New Zealand in September.
It's now down to the player to catch the eye as he is running out of chances to shine on the biggest stage.
Henson, 29, said: "I have never been to a World Cup and this is my only chance to try and make it right.
"I've a lot to do. I'm down the pecking order which is fair enough, so I'm hoping a big game. It's a last-chance saloon for me and I have to go for it.
"Everything boils down to this one game for me. I have to really impress to get a chance for the rest of the summer.
"The World Cup is the biggest stage and I've missed out on it twice. It is a huge driving factor for me and I do want to be on the plane going over there.
"It's the biggest spectacle, biggest thing in a rugby career. I've always watched them and I've also watched football World Cups.
"They are massive occasions, they are where you want to be. I don't want to watch this one on television again. I want to be there."
Wales still have three summer internationals before they decide upon their World Cup squad. But time is not on his side and facing the Baa-Baas could be make-or-break for Henson's Wales future - and the even for the remainder of his topsy-turvy career.
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