Another day, another washed-up Northern Hmisphere has-been. All just part of the job if you’re involved in the Sharks coaching and procurement set-up. Having recently lost the services of Andy Goode (and Juan Hernandez before him), Sharks coach John Plumtree is now attempting to lure Welsh trouble-maker Gavin Henson to the Sharks.
Henson, at one stage the poster-boy of Welsh rugby, is involved in an acrimonious split with long-time partner Charlotte Church (voice of an angel, body of a beached whale) and has announced and then retracted his retirement from the game more often than he’s applied fake tan. Nevertheless, he remains, according to Plumtree, a freakishly talented player and one whose talents should not be lost to the game prematurely.
Plumtree first coached Henson at Swansea when the latter was still a teenager and is quoted as saying “if Gavin senses he needs a change of scenery he is welcome to come over here. He can give me a ring and we will see how the land is. The Super 14 would suit a flair player like Gav. He is a fantastic talent, someone who is too good not to be playing rugby.”
The player has, predictably, also been linked with a move to the Melbourne Rebels, where he and Danny Cipriani would make quite a pair indeed. Henson is currently contracted to the Swansea-Neath Ospreys, but has been placed on indefinite leave of absence. Any rumours that he is a relative of Jim Henson are unfounded, but that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t need to be a real muppet to sign this bloke!
More on this one as it develops. Let’s hope it doesn’t.
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Oh my…
not another over the hill has been…
Why don’t you guys just go and get Stephen Larkham
@provincejoulekkading (Comment 3) : or Michael Lynagh
I shouldnt laugh but shit this is too funny!
@Morné (Comment 5) : it’s only funny if you ignore how fucking tragically sad it actually is 🙁
Sorry about the cussword, but I am now at the end of my tether.
“Charlotte Church (voice of an angel, body of a beached whale)” wahahahahahaha. couldn’t have given a better description myself!!
@robdylan (Comment 6) :
It is more one of those types of laughs that you have when you just heard or seen something that completely defies any logic of which the tragedy of the event is actually the punchline…???
I wonder if he will bring the pictures / videos of Charlotte with him that she sent him. 😆
At least he could get a real tan in Durbs…
@rekinek (Comment 10) :
Am I the only one who actually thinks this would be a good signing??
🙄
@wpw (Comment 12) : this may be because you are a Stormers supporter 😆
Isn’t Henson bit of a injury plague – I mean nobody is in Pretoors league when it comes to that but still.
@wpw (Comment 12) :we are busy with operation ‘save the shark’ here, if Henson and Ms Church reconcile, the will be no time to save the whale!!
Must be sepressing for young and aspiring fly halves it’s always been the pattern here in Natal I’m afraid – Since Thiery Lacroix how many foreign fly halves have represented us eother at CC or Super rugby level ?
@wpw (Comment 12) :
YES.
@Dalz (Comment 15) :
Isn’t Henson a 12?
Henson and Church got engaged barely two weeks ago now she has fled the country, with her two kids, after the breakup. 😯
I thought she was only like 21 years old?
WHY DO THE SHARKS??
Just kidding, this seems like it’s a wild rumour though, and if it’s not, we don’t need another international player
@KSA Shark © (Comment 18) :
okay she turned 24 this year on 21 Feb
@KSA Shark © (Comment 17) : yeah, he is a 12 that can play 10 or 15, but he usually cant play coz of injury
Henson hasn’t played for 2 years. We could pick him up on the cheap and have enough money left over to pay for his and Petoors’ medical bills at St Augustines.
Good player – not sure why the fuss: defo better than our current guys?
Just got sidetracked spending too much time in Church.
If this sh!t happens, I will take a sabbatical from supporting the Sharks 👿 Cant we sign a petition or something stating our dismay and dissappointed with the way the Sharks admin is screwing up the brand 💡
@Dalz (Comment 15) : wow… LOTS.
David Knox, Thierry Lacroix, Gregor Townshend, Juan Hernandez, Fred Michalak, Andy Goode, Tony Brown… I know I’ve missed a few
@robdylan (Comment 4) : why stable henson with lynach at 46 and larkham at 34 whats the point when he,s 28???
@robdylan (Comment 25) :
Yes there was also a Englishman who played for the english B team
it was round about 1994 ish…
I don’t think he would be such a bad signing…I thought he always was a good player, he’s still 28 and we don’t seem to have many great options at center.
@Uli (Comment 27) : hmmmm…. Paul Challinor?
@Letgo (Comment 29) : im with you on that!!
@robdylan (Comment 30) : I think so…
Okay i have had enough now! why the fuck don’t we just fire the management and plumtree 2! if we wana buy sum1 go get dick back 4rom the lions.atleast the young guys will have a chance to shine under him! alot of the sharks academy oaks are fed up with the sharks management and lack of opportunies! better yet im gona go ask them exactly what they think!! im gona post what they say here!!
@Poisy (Comment 33) : 😐
@Poisy (Comment 33) :
I’m sensing that you are a tad ambivalent about this latest development?
@Poisy (Comment 33) : just make sure you get their permission first…
I’m in touch with a lot of those guys too… I reckon the last thing they want to do is publicly slate the Union. That might not be good for their future careers!
@Uli (Comment 32) : I’m amazed that I managed to pull that name out of thin air 🙂 He was part of the Andy Keast brigade, if memory serves.
@Poisy dude didnt dick bring carlos spencer to the lions
Lets move into the Moses Mabhida stadium (Its beautiful) and call the team the ‘Shark Internationals’ or the ‘International All Stars’.
I do think that stadium is the prettiest thing ever 😳
@JarsonX (Comment 39) : i think cheetahs are the only team without internationals,so all sa s14 teams would now be international teams ,sorry but thats business J if you havent got the talent buy it ,obviouslook at the french and english.
Oh geez…. 🙄 🙄
@ruggabugga (Comment 40) : but you need to buy quality, not has-beens!
@JarsonX (Comment 39) : It is. I did the walk up the arch a few weeks ago. It’s the best looking stadium in SA as far as I’m concerned.
Doesn’t excuse the fact that it should never have been built in the first place or the eThekwini Metro trying extortion tactics to try and get the Sharks there.
@robdylan (Comment 6) :
Kid in Jerry Macquire
You said fuck…
@justinwhufc (Comment 7) : @KSA Shark © (Comment 9) :
Beached whale? Look she’s not nearly as sexy as Morras but you guys are seriously picky! 😛
http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/famecrawler/archive/2009/01/28/charlotte-church-won-t-get-married-this-summer.aspx
@ruggabugga (Comment 40) :you are SO wrong, all of the Cheetahs are internationals…they are from “the States”… 😉
Who is next, Matt Damon….. 😉
Crazy Monkeys
@BoerSeun (Comment 47) :
I heard that Rudi Stroolie is in talks with Mike Catt!!
@klempie (Comment 45) : that was unnecessary and pretty darn disrespectful to our female posters. Needless to say it has been edited.
@robdylan (Comment 37) : Yip that is correct. I dont know why though but it still feels like we are missing atleast another name….
@Letgo (Comment 29) : He is a bit like Pretorius – always getting injured.
@robdylan (Comment 49) : In my defence, I did acknowledge that and further, I was defending a lovely looking woman from a lot of internet abuse by some other posts that could be deemed “unnecessary and disrepectful” :razz:”
@klempie (Comment 45) : Watch this space for a similar “happy couple” pic of Henson and Plum after another disastrous Sharks campaign.
@rhineshark (Comment 53) :
How’s Deutchland today?
@Uli (Comment 50) : we definitely are… it’s driving me mad at the moment.
@robdylan (Comment 55) : Was there not another Aussie that played for us? after Knox?
😆 😆 😆
Plum must be trying to get out of his contract.
@robdylan (Comment 55) : We should have a quizz night sometime 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 55) : I got it, Andre Petoors..haha
@klempie (Comment 45) :
It ALL depends at which time of her life you see her.
http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/famecrawler/2007/09/16-22/charlotte-church-gavin-henson-baby.jpg
http://www.mademan.com/chickipedia/charlotte-church/photosgallery/Charlotte-church-to_93-jpg.html
http://www.mademan.com/chickipedia/charlotte-church/photosgallery/Charlottechurch-pregnant-fat-bikini_204.html
@KSA Shark © (Comment 60) : I thought this was a rugby blog 😈
@KSA Shark © (Comment 60) : Well that pic was last year.
Ooohhhhh….that second pic is pretty yummy.
@klempie (Comment 54) : Wunderbar! Blue sky and 30 degrees C 😎
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 61) :
@rhineshark (Comment 63) : It’s frikkin freezing Mr Bigglesworth. 🙁
Um, why is everyone hating this idea? Everyone was like this when Bob Skinstad and Percy Montgomery came from obscurity in Wales/car-crashes to play for the Sharks. “Has-beens” or “washed-up glory boys” – they were crucial in 2007, the Sharks’ best Super 14 season.
I believe that this move would not only be good for Henson, but good for the Sharks. Skinstad felt duty bound to prove himself in 2007, I think it would be the same for Henson. If the reports of the departures of Pienaar and Murray were premature, then I wouldn’t mind seeing
9.Kockott
10.Pienaar
11.Pietersen
12.Henson
13.Murray/Jacobs
14.Ndungane/Mvovo
15.Lambie
That backline would score some tries.
@MerckZ (Comment 66) : IS THIS A BARBARIAN backline half of these players have gone…piennar, murry, Jacobs has to go…….turn on the premier leage…
watch the new grey boy outside 13 in the CC….bok bok bok….19years old big/fast/fast/fast….
@MerckZ (Comment 66) : Murray is definitely gone. Signed his papers yesterday.
@BoerSeun (Comment 68) : Ah. Another Shark on his way from Bloem. 😆
@robdylan (Comment 69) :
🙁
@klempie (Comment 70) : it doesn’t end there… we have also signed this year’s Grey flyhalf/inside centre sensation, Paul Jordaan
@klempie (Comment 70) : lets be big about pro era….there is no way a union can produce all the goods….good players go to good high schools.grey ensures your rugby future…the boy maybe comes from newcastle or Vryheid…and his surname is roux or van tonder…not lambie or James…Freestate have been taking the credit of grey bloem for years crying there eyes out about stolen talent…thats total bull…and there will a bloem boy go after school…to bloem??? Come on poeple, rugby players dont grow on free state trees…they go the for Afrikaans culture and rugby legacy…the same reason the go the the sharks…it’s about brand and tradition of Grey college success with Natal…Guess where I went to School 😉 @robdylan (Comment 72) :
@robdylan (Comment 69) : Sigh, what a shame. Thanks for confirming that though. Here’s hoping we keep Pienaar and give Zuks and Stemmet a crack at 13…
PS—i lovvvvvvvvvvveeeeeee hatttttting the BULLLLLLSSSS!!!!!
@BoerSeun (Comment 75) : After 2007 I hated the Bulls more than I hated the Stormers (which was a lot, no offence to the fantastic supporters they have on here), but I’ve grown to admire them and appreciate their brand.
@BoerSeun (Comment 73) : what year were you at Grey?
@MerckZ (Comment 74) : Zuks is injured… sounds like he did a knee
anyone know if the Boks/Wales test is on TV in the UK?
@MerckZ (Comment 76) : HATING THE BULLS NO, I know a couple of the bulls and they are nice people..don’t really hate them But I love the little internal bulls feud with the rest of the world…
Why are we always importing a FH? 🙄 Also a injury prone one? WE need a local to play there and stick with that player, damn man, we at Sharks get it wrong plenty. Unless this guy can produce and sign with us for more than a year. Still have my doubts about this.
What is happening with Mapoe? Is he with the Sharks? Also saw on sabc news that Brussow and Bosman might be headed to the Sharks. They did say that was speculation. So have to see.
@JarsonX (Comment 24) : i tend to agree with you its become buy me sell me me word haven’t they learnt that we have our own players in the XV use them how must they get the up heads in the S15 if you don’t use them and let them show themselves
Sorry guys by the way things tend to happen in the office guys you’ll never get a chance not even in the CC not even speaking of the S15 you’ll all or most of you’s just stay in the XV Sharks team till the day you are grey and the bones won’t let you play or go on pension 😥 👿
@robdylan (Comment 78) : Sky, BBC Red button and BBC2 Wales. Tonight is Barbarians vs Ireland on RTE 2.
@rhineshark (Comment 82) : fanks
I log on now for the first time in days and this is what I see!! WTF!!! I mean really, WTF!!! Is Plumtree not able to see how detrimental this could be to the Sharks. Why are the sharks so fixated with Northern hemisphere players. Earl this, Im outta here.
@rhineshark (Comment 82) :
Ooooooh I’ll watch tonights game. i will be missing tomorrow’s. 🙁
@Pablo Dinero (Comment 84) : hahahahahaha the Sharks are pathetic 😀 when was the last time this oke played rugby? Bring him in and see how useless he will be 😆
@KSA Shark © (Comment 85) :
NO I won’t 🙁 It only starts at 22:00 my time. long after my bedtime. 😳
I always thought he was a really good player….. career blighted by injury.
If he is fit (and that is a huge if) there wouldn’t be too many inside centres going around that are better !
Has a massive PUNT….massive !
Wouldn’t be a hopeless signing in an already hopeless backline !
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 88) :
No he wouldn’t.
The problem (IMO anyway) is that we have just suffered through a season of not having local talent to be used when needed and now we are making the same mistake instead of using our own players.
@Megatron (Comment 86) : are you at it againyou 👿 and 😈 TROLL 😕 🙁 😉
@KSA Shark © (Comment 89) :
Surely the Currie Cup is the exact platform to develop local talent for the Super 15….why wouldn’t you play a local lad.
Then again on his day Henson is World XV material at Inside Centre.
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 91) :
That is the problem, why bring in Henson?
@chaz (Comment 90) : what is with the sharks & sicknote players like pretorius? Now they’re flirting with Henson 🙄
will Hugh Reece-Edwards still be ‘consulting’ to coach the sharks impotent backline (what was the final stat only 23 tries? 😛 )
@KSA Shark © (Comment 92) : well i don’t think he nows what he is doing 😳 or doesn’t trust our local which is bad really 👿
@Megatron (Comment 93) :
Get back under your bridge.
@Megatron (Comment 93) : Hi Megatron
don’t know whats going on i think its time we get ourselves a new coach but what do i know he gets payed for it and big buks to why he doesn’t like to bring in locals is behond me really Durbs has lots of talent they just need to get a chance to prove themselves that that is only in the CC how are we ever going to even get to the 9th place in the S15 i don’t know
And with this Henson i don’t know him but well maybe he never really played 😳 if so well then he was showing off his Body mussels to the croud and not his talent as a player 🙄 😉
@KSA Shark © (Comment 95) : eeeee you said it 😆 😉
@Megatron (Comment 93) : And your team well not going to say much BLUE BULLS got yor eeee 👿
@chaz (Comment 96) : hahahaha are you saying GH has nice muscles? 😳
You’re such a perv Chaz 😉
@KSA Shark © (Comment 95) : not so fast partner, not when the Tjarkies are back to being Faux pax Central! 😆
@Megatron (Comment 99) : i can’t put the face to the name but me NOT a perv so old troll go down to your under the bridge 👿 😈 and to think i nearlly liked you 😳 oh my CHAZ what were you thinking 🙁 go to the Saders they love you 😆
@Megatron (Comment 100) : oh my are who are you supporting in the tri nations you are a back bitting stabbing old troll hope not our boks because we don’t want you at all 👿 😈
@Megatron (Comment 100) : stimes you get me so worked up that if i could pushed that button i would of done it a very long time ago 😆
Sorry Rob and KSA but he is bad news
@chaz (Comment 102) : i support the Bokke all they way!!! 😀
@chaz (Comment 103) : oh come on Chaz 🙁 i’m so dissappointed, i say some stuff in jest, have a sense of humour cherrie 😉 i’ll be nice, i promise 😳
😛 @Megatron (Comment 100) : 😛 😳
You got me.
@Megatron (Comment 104) : 🙂 😉
@Megatron (Comment 105) : 😎 but time until the next time 🙂 😉
@robdylan (Comment 72) : 😀
@BoerSeun (Comment 73) : Dude, I AM a Sharks supporter. I regard Free State rugby as the Sharks Academy.
@klempie (Comment 109) : now if only we can find a way to consistently get these guys coming through.
In a few years’ time, we could have a 10-12-13 of Kieran Goss, Paul Jordaan and Piet Lindeque, which should be phenomenal! We should also get Fred Zielinga next year, Glenwood’s kicking machine.
@klempie (Comment 110) : gee you may be just right i didn’t think of it that way
@robdylan (Comment 111) : I know I am sounding like a broken record…but doesn’t a player like Ronnie Cooke add experience to upcoming youth, we need to find a balance between upcoming youth and unproven/upcoming talent. that’s been Murry Maxteds theory on blooding young players for years and his proven his theory time and again…Ronnie Cooke and Cliffy Milton….that’s some original South African big guns…that can still play for the boks…over 100 first class games…
Signing Henson is a massive punt. He’s one of two things. Either a shite hot 12 who makes his comeback via the S15 next year and pushes for a Welsh spot or an absolute disaster who spends his time in rehab. Rudolf is taking a serious gamble here but if Plum has a good report with the player it might payoff.
I wouldn’t laugh him off just yet guys.
@Oubaas2009 (Comment 114) : I’ve just done a bit of searching on youtube to see if what I remember of Henson is true… and it is… when he plays well he can rip though any team. He tackles hard and is strong and talented on attack. If the Sharks can give the man something worth playing for he may just be the best thing we have going
Go have a lookie here… seems South Africa has actually been on his mind for a while… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8knNM-ykPE