Six Nations
O'Driscoll: Wales should not look to Henson
ESPNscrum Staff
January 18, 2011
Saracens centre Gavin Henson takes a breather, Sale Sharks v Saracens, Aviva Premiership, Edgeley Park, Stockport, England, January 2, 2011
Gavin Henson is currently out with a calf injury © Getty Images
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Players/Officials: Gavin Henson | Brian O'Driscoll
Tournaments/Tours: Six Nations
Teams: Ireland | Wales

Brian O'Driscoll does not believe that Gavin Henson has done enough to warrant a recall to the Wales squad for the Six Nations.

The Ireland centre faced off against his erstwhile British & Irish Lions team-mate as Leinster cruised past Saracens in the Heineken Cup last weekend, a game that saw Henson pick up a calf injury and a three-week lay-off.

He will miss Wales' tournament opener against England should he win a call-up, a move that O'Driscoll does not believe is necessary given the midfield options available to Warren Gatland.

"No-one should be selected on reputation alone so you can't just walk straight back into international rugby, especially after so long out," O'Driscoll told The Western Mail.

"Wales may have lost Andrew Bishop but they have guys like Jamie Roberts, James Hook and Tom Shanklin still available while Jon Davies has also come back from injury and played well. So there's already a lot of competition."

O'Driscoll praised Henson's performance at the RDS but again underlined the task ahead of the former Ospreys star if he is to influence Wales' World Cup plans.

"It's good for the game that someone like Gavin is back involved and he played well," he said. "He looked sharp and picked some great lines of running before he went off with the injury.

"But when it comes to being selected for the Wales squad for the Six Nations, I don't know about that, whether he's injured or not. Centre is an area where Wales have a wealth of talent and experience."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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