Wilkinson: no hard feelings between Toulon and Henson

Jonny Wilkinson and Gavin Henson after a Toulon match Jonny Wilkinson is ready to welcome Gavin Henson back into the fold at Toulon following the Wales centre's suspension. Henson's long-term future with the Top 14 club remains unclear after his week-long sanction for an alleged brawl with team-mates, but Wilkinson insists that the players are ready to put the past behind them and focus on qualifying for the play-offs.
"I personally have never felt more at home among a group of guys and in that regard that is how they will be now with Gavin," Wilkinson told The Daily Telegraph. "These sort of things happen, whether the chemistry goes a bit wrong briefly or there's a misunderstanding or whatever. All the guys just want to get on and move on.
"Everyone understands that this is all part of the search for that team spirit and togetherness. This is a squad of many types of nationalities and characters. That's what makes it special. And team spirit is so crucial to having success. You can't just go out and get the best players in the world, stick them in a changing room with a few notes and a rugby ball, then expect them to go out and it will all click.
"There has to be a chemistry, a spirit, especially I think in French rugby, if it's all to work. And it does here at Toulon. The boys will be fine with Gavin. They will do whatever they can to help him get what he needs and what he deserves out of this. He's definitely keen to do the same for Toulon."
Despite reports that Henson was heavily critical of Wilkinson on the night in question, the fly-half insists he has no issue with the Welshman.
"It hasn't affected me at all," Wilkinson said. "Gavin said to the guys that that wasn't the true Gavin speaking. He showed his true feelings to us and said that he was sorry. The perpetrator in it all was drink, I guess.
"It was a difficult evening. I wasn't even there so it's best to set the record straight on that. I'd been talking to Gavin that afternoon after the match against Toulouse, telling him that I admired the way he'd got back up to this level so quickly after so long out of the game.
"I've spent good times with Gavin here, enjoyed training with him. As for the remarks, well, then he wouldn't be the only person thinking like that round the world, and rightly so. I've always said that I get too much praise."