Gavin Henson’s new coach has given the former Wales and British and Irish Lions rugby union star a pass mark on his rugby league debut.
Henson has switched codes at 39 after 33 tests for Wales from 2001 to 2011 and one for the Lions on their 2005 New Zealand tour.
Now, Henson – who owns a gastro pub in Llanelli – is playing league for the West Wales Raiders, who play in England’s League One third tier semi-professional competition.
Henson made his debut in the Raiders’ 58-4 Challenge Cup defeat to Championship tier two club Widnes on Sunday (Monday NZ time).
He played in the halves, outside Raiders captain Chase, and was not held responsible for any of Widnes’ 11 tries.
Henson told BBC Wales he “learned a lot’’.
“It’s the first time I played the game. I watched it, but there’s nothing quite like playing.
“It’s so relentless, it’s non-stop. I need to get fitter, basically.
“I think I did alright. I just couldn’t offer much, it was a very tiring game.’’
Henson said he had six weeks to get sharper before the start of the League One season.
He commented that an early red card to Raiders centre Jamie Murphy for a dangerous tackle “killed the game’’, although it was understandable because emotions were running high.
Henson’s coach, Aaron Wood was happy with his veteran rookie’s first effort.
“I thought he looked threatening on a couple of occasions,” Wood told The Guardian.
“He said he missed the jump on a couple of things, but he’s seen that, and he knows where he’s going to get better, which is good. For a first hit-out for a bloke who’s never played rugby league before, I was impressed.”
Speaking before the match, Henson told The Guardian he was “absolutely loving’’ his immersion in rugby league. “It’s a much better game than I thought. It’s very tactical, and I’m learning a lot of new stuff, even at 39.’’
He said while he enjoyed watching test rugby union, “domestically, union has lost its way a bit whereas league is an exciting game.
“If rugby league is clever it could really steal a march on union in Wales, because it’s a better game to watch and play in.’’
Meanwhile, Chase – a Dannevirke-born former New Zealand Māori representative who played in the NRL for Wests Tigers and the Dragons – said he never dreamed he would one day play alongside Henson.
“If you’d have asked me 12 months ago where I’d be now I definitely wouldn’t have said here alongside Gav,” Chase said in The Daily Mirror.
“I was a big rugby union fan, and when I was younger I played ‘Rugby 08’ and would always pick him because he was good in that.
“That’s how I first knew him, then I saw him play for Wales with the old tan and the sexy hairdo. It’s crazy how things turn around, and now I’m lucky enough to play with him.”
Chase, 34, was Super League’s Albert Goldthorpe Medal winner as Player of the Year in 2011, but was banned for two years in 2017 after testing positive for cocaine.
He has since resurrected his career at Doncaster before joining West Wales this season and promptly being named as captain.
