“I feel a bit sorry for Gavin,” says Bath legend Duncan Bell
Former England prop Bell says he had countless set-tos with team-mates on nights out in Bath during his nine-year career at The Rec, but claims that the media scrutiny surrounding Henson is such that Wednesday’s incident at the Pig and Fiddle pub in Bath has been blown out of proportion.
Henson was knocked out by a single right cross from Fearns after the two held a heated argument in the city centre pub. The incident came with Henson in just his third week at the club.
A 999 call requesting emergency medical attention was made after the former Wales international was knocked out, but that paramedics were later stood down.
Bell, who became a fans’ favourite at The Rec in the course of more than 200 appearances for the club, said: “I’m maybe not surprised that something has happened with Gavin Henson given his past. But rugby is rugby. Things like this certainly happened a lot during my career, and things like this will probably always happen.
“I feel a bit sorry for Gavin. The spotlight is always on him. But they are team-mates and I’m sure you will see them next weekend having a beer together.
“This sort of thing normally happens on the training pitch. I don’t know the number of times I’ve seen a fight in training with the players then putting their arms around each other and going off together for a bite to eat in the canteen. I don’t know how many times I got punched by a team-mate on a night out.
“I’m not condoning it, but it’s old school rugby values. Is it right? Probably not.”
On Friday Bath chief executive Nick Blofeld spoke to the players who were in the pub at the time of the incident, and the club are understood to be anxious to hear all sides of the story before apportioning blame or imposing sanction.
But an off-field incident involving alcohol so soon after Henson’s arrival in the West Country won’t impress the club’s management, particularly with a demanding, week-long training programme in Poland about to begin – a training trip that is intended to push players to the limit.
When Bath signed 33-cap Henson in June, Blofeld admitted that there was a “slight risk” in signing the double Grand Slam-winner, but said he believed Henson was a “much more settled and mature person than that image we have in our heads”.
A witness of the incident, 25-year-old waiter Dan Atkinson, told the Daily Mail: “Henson was putting cash in his mouth and making the barmaids get it out and generally being an idiot. One of the players squared up to him and told him to calm down. There was a bit of a to-ing and fro-ing and then the other player just lamped him.
“Henson was knocked out like a light for about five minutes.”
A statement by Bath said: “Bath Rugby can confirm there was a minor incident in the city centre on Wednesday night involving a few members of the playing squad.
“The club are investigating the matter as a priority and will only make a statement when further information is available.”
TOM BRADSHAW
