Thanks to Clermont leaving gaps in their defence the size of the Massif Central, Leicester were able to canter to a morale-boosting victory. The pre-eminent concerns of a win with maximum points and the cessation of a run of five defeats by French opposition were achieved with little fuss and a dash of Geordan Murphy magic. Clermont sneaked into the Heineken Cup as France's seventh seeds and were not up to the standard of Leicester's conquerors in the last two seasons: Toulouse, Biarritz and Stade Fran?s. A potential concern for Tigers is that, apart from the sheer pace of Tom Varndell and the individual brilliance of Murphy, their back line could do with brushing up their act.. Jonah Lomu, who joins Cardiff next month (yes, it takes some getting used to) wrote a letter to his new club. "Fiona and I would like to thank everybody welcoming us to Wales We have been overwhelmed by the messages of support. I've been following news of the team and it's great to see them doing so well." For an hour or so here yesterday he might have been wondering what on earth he has let himself in for.
Cardiff, who got into the Heineken Cup only via a rep?age in Viadana, lost the first half 13-6 and looked in a bit of a mess. A rollocking at half-time - the coach Dai Young has grown accustomed to delivering sermons - resulted in his team scoring four tries and 34 points without reply in the second half. The Arms Park crowd, as subdued as their team before the interval, finally caught the celebratory mood as Cardiff got their campaign off to an encouraging start, complete with a bonus point.. There's a line in Charlotte Church's latest release in which she sings "I need professional help". It would be a good idea if she drew Gavin Henson's attention to this very sensible sentiment. This is not meant to heap any more derision and criticism on to the player who was yesterday described as the most hated man in rugby.
It is a genuine suggestion that he should start now to mend the damage he has done, particularly among his own countrymen. Mike Ruddock, the Wales coach, has created a Grand Slam-winning squad in which there is a close bond and mutual respect. He won't allow anyone to ruin that. I don't know what professional help Charlotte is referring to, but the assistance Henson should be seeking is not from rugby experts, or even the men in white coats, but from someone who can control his public utterances about players he plays with and against.A good time to start would be tomorrow, when he attends the official launch of his book My Grand Slam Year - at the Millennium Stadium, of all places. That is an ideal opportunity to take a mouthful of humble pie and apologise to those he has offended.I have watched Gavin's progress with great interest and I firmly believe in his potential as a major force in the game, but I worry that it would be so easy for his career to suffer because of all the flak he is taking. When he returns to action after his injury the pressure on him is going to be enormous, and the self-belief that is so central to his game is going to be challenged like never before.I can sympathise, because there was a time in Welsh rugby when I was the cocky kid with a lot to say for myself.
