Rhys Has Become The Victim Of Politics

The lucky ones find a way of bowing out with a World Cup or a Grand Slam in their hands, the acclaim of a grateful country ringing in their ears.

Few manage the hazardous task of leaving when they choose to before someone else opens the back door and shoves them through it. Rhys Webb had always looked good enough to leave on his own terms.

Instead the No.1 scrum-half in Wales, second best only to Conor Murray in the Lions’ pecking order, is left staring at a fate which would have been unthinkable a few short months ago – that he will never again sample the unique experience of lining up for Wales in Cardiff.

He is more a victim of rugby politics than anything as mundane as a knee injury severe enough to rule him out of the entire Six Nations. He would not have gone to Argentina in the summer regardless of fitness on what will be used to test tomorrow’s men.

For all his protestations to the contrary, Webb must have known of the risks inherent in signing up to spend the next three seasons doubling his money at Toulon.