Ospreys full-back Lee Byrne's blood-bin began the 16-man confusion
Wales full-back Lee Byrne has had a two-match ban overturned, leaving him free to face England in the Six Nations opener at Twickenham on Saturday.

The ban had been imposed by European Rugby Cup after his brief appearance as an illegal 16th player in the Ospreys' 17-12 Heineken Cup win over Leicester.

The suspension has been replaced by a fine of 5,000 Euros on the 29-year-old.

Wales coach Warren Gatland had delayed naming his team, Byrne now set to start at 15, James Hook possibly at centre.

Gatland will name his team at 1300 GMT on Wednesday.

An independent ERC appeal committee comprising Scots Rod McKenzie, Lorne Crerar and Bill Dunlop sat in Glasgow on Tuesday and overruled the original suspension that was imposed last week.

Byrne and the Ospreys had both pleaded guilty to the misconduct complaints in Dublin on Friday, the club fined £21,666 (25,000 Euros) while the player was left facing missing out on the start of the Six Nations.

Is this a fair decision?
The committee chaired by Pat Barriscale of Ireland had found that Byrne had re-entered the pitch without the referee's permission and that he knew or ought to have known that he needed that permission.

The British and Irish Lions full-back had gone off in the second-half of the Heineken Cup Pool Three clash suffering from a dislocated and bloodied toe and was replaced by centre Sonny Parker.

But Byrne was sent back on at the Liberty Stadium three minutes later after treatment without any of his team-mates going off.

A Tigers player pointed out the Ospreys' numerical advantage to referee Alan Lewis, who then berated an Ospreys touchline official for not informing the match fourth official that Byrne had returned.

The official also did not award Leicester the penalty they should have had for Ospreys temporarily fielding an extra player.

Fly-half Dan Biggar eventually departed as the Ospreys returned to 15 men to hold on during a torrid finale of constant Leicester pressure.

Leicester claimed Byrne was involved in halting a break by scrum-half Ben Youngs as Tigers looked to claw back their 17-12 deficit.

The triumph ensured the Ospreys' qualification for the Heineken Cup quarter-final, while the defeat knocked Leicester out.

Byrne is one of Wales' key players and was badly missed when injured in the autumn as they slumped to defeats to New Zealand and Australia.

Welsh Rugby Union group chief executive Roger Lewis expressed his delight after hearing that Byrne was free to face England.

"I am delighted that the independent appeal committee have reached this decision which is great news for Lee Byrne and for Wales," said Lewis.

"It has been an extremely difficult time for the player, but we have been determined to give him all the support he needed to achieve this fair resolution of a difficult matter.

"It has not been an easy decision either for the original independent committee hearing the evidence or the appeal panel and I applaud them all on their diligence in this matter.

"I hope this sends out a message to the followers of Welsh rugby that the WRU is an organisation which will always stand by individuals who deserve and need our help.

"We sat down with Lee as soon as the original penalty was announced and started to plan for the appeal.

"There have been a lot of meetings and discussions over the past days but it has all been worthwhile because we are now celebrating an important victory for all concerned.

"I know how hard all the players, coaches and backroom staff in the national squad work for success and they must always be confident that the WRU will stand firm in support of all their efforts.

"We want every player who pulls on a Welsh jersey to know that we are with them all the way.

"Now it's back to business and we can all look forward to a great game of rugby at Twickenham."

Bowe's versatility has been vital to the injury-ravaged Ospreys this season
Ireland and British and Irish Lions star Tommy Bowe has signed a three-year extension to his Ospreys contract.

The deal will keep the 25-year-old outside back at the Swansea-based region through to the end of 2012/13.

Bowe moved to Wales from Ulster in 2008 and there were strong rumours that the Grand Slam star would return to Ireland when his old contract ran out in 2010.

"The Ospreys have been the platform for much of the success I've enjoyed," said Bowe, who played all three Lions Tests.

"I was flattered by the interest from other European clubs, but after taking advice... it all came back to the fact that I am enjoying my rugby and life in general at the Ospreys.

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Have your say on Bowe's decision
"Obviously, a return to Ireland had a strong emotional pull and I take enormous pride in the privilege of wearing the Irish jersey.

"I just feel all the ingredients are here for long-term success... I'm very excited about what we can achieve in that space of time."

Bowe, the all-time leading Magners League try scorer, has made a huge impact at the Ospreys as a centre, wing and, occasionally, as a full-back.

He has scored 18 tries in 34 appearances for the region - including an impressive nine in his last 10 outings - while he has 11 tries from his 25 Ireland caps.

Tommy and the Ospreys have complemented each other fantastically over the last year and a half

Ospreys coach Sean Holley
"Tommy is a vital part of what we are trying to create here from a playing and a cultural point of view, and the fact that he has opted to extend his stay with us is a clear indication that he believes in what we are trying to do," said Ospreys coach Sean Holley.

"When we originally targeted Tommy as a potential signing, we felt that as well as him bringing his obvious strengths to the team, that we could also offer him the opportunity to develop his own game and his career.

"This has certainly rung true, Tommy and the Ospreys have complemented each other fantastically over the last year and a half, and we are very proud of his achievements on the international stage.

"The fact that he is a proven try scorer, can play in a number of positions and exhibits good leadership qualities are an obvious bonus to the team.

"His performances so far this season have shown that there is even more to come from him and we are delighted that we are now able to call on his services for an additional three years.

"He is a genuine world-class talent, who is much sought after and still very young."

A disconsolate Wales troop off after their 33-12 hammering by Australia

Wales say their disappointing autumn Test campaign and the evolving world scene will see them produce a new game plan ahead of the Six Nations.

"The only good thing is we'll look at ourselves and analyse our game," said forwards coach Robin McBryde after the 12-33 home hammering against Australia.

"There are no hiding places, the game has moved on in kicking, competing in the air, pressure at the tackle area.

"We're not seeing much rugby being played but that's across the board."

The Tri Nations sides have been dominant this autumn, their kicking game having evolved in the summer.

We try to play a bit of rugby by not kicking the ball away as much - but it's not a winning performance is it?

Wales coach Warren Gatland
The strict refereeing at the breakdown imposed by referees at the behest of the International Rugby Board has driven this, the percentages not favouring running rugby as the attacking side is often penalised.

"We gifted Australia the game," said Wales coach Warren Gatland after Saturday's Millennium Stadium defeat.

"Everyone talks about kicking - Australia kicked 40 times and we kicked 22 times.

Rugby Union Blog
The gulf in class between the hemispheres is not as wide as it might appear

Tom Fordyce
"We try to play a bit of rugby by not kicking the ball away as much - but it's not a winning performance is it?"

Defence coach Shaun Edwards called the defeat his worst day with Wales.

"Australia's defence was magnificent," he said. "The tackler was incredibly proactive and it wasn't just the back row but from one to 15. Even the scrum-half was very dynamic over the ball.

"That is the modern game - the aerial battle and the breakdown, two areas we came second."


Wales were caught by surprise by Australia's ambition in the air
McBryde added: "There's a shift with regards to where you win possession, it's not necessarily from the set piece but from kicks and gathering kicks."

Wales opened their November campaign - in which they scored just four tries - with a predictable defeat to the All Blacks.

They then struggled to a win over Samoa, improved in beating Argentina, but crashed badly against the Wallabies.

The series highlighted Wales' dependence on their established, senior stars, with few of the newcomers or younger first-choices laying down cast-iron cases for inclusion.

It's a bit frustrating [as a runner] but international rugby is about winning - and that's it really

James Hook
Injured full-back Lee Byrne's siege-gun boot was badly missed, and his stand-in James Hook - a converted fly-half whose creative skills could be utilised at centre in the Six Nations - acknowledged the changing demands of the modern game.

"Australia kicked an awful lot, there are some great kickers in their team," Hook told BBC Sport Wales.

"[Kicking is a] big part of the game, there's nothing you can do about it at the moment.

"It's a bit frustrating [as a runner] but international rugby is about winning - and that's it really."

We hit a brick wall - and we didn't see it coming. It's back to the drawing board

Martyn Williams
Veteran flanker Martyn Williams admitted to feeling shock at the total superiority displayed by Australia.

"It feels like we've been hit by a truck," said Williams. "We were happy with the way we were going, then we hit a brick wall - and we didn't see it coming.

"It's back to the drawing board, there's a couple of months before the Six Nations and we need to work hard.

"A lot of us have been in this situation before, we've got a lot of influential players to come back and we've added a few new boys who have put their hands up."

Mike Phillips and Matthew Rees could be injury doubts for the Six Nations opener against England at Twickenham on 6 February.


Gatland looks back with Scrum V
Byrne and Adam Jones should be back, though, and Wales will hope to have Ian Evans, Mark Jones, Dafydd Jones, Morgan Stoddart and Gavin Henson back to full fitness to challenge for places.

"[Australia was] disappointing," said coach Warren Gatland in summing up the November Tests.

"We felt that we were making progress, it's disappointing to take a backward step.

"It was absolutely my worst moment in the job, we are a better team than we displayed.

"We've got to go back to the drawing word and work on some stuff, hopefully we'll have players coming back from injury and players here who have learnt a lot in terms of development for the next campaign."

Ospreys director Mike Cuddy has revealed Gavin Henson asked to be unpaid during the indefinite injury leave he is currently on.

Cuddy insists Henson will defy his doubters and eventually return to action to produce his best form.

Cuddy said Henson's request to be unpaid was "a sign of his integrity".

The Ospreys joint managing director told BBC Sport Wales: "He's felt, I think, that for the last three years he hasn't given value for money."

Cuddy added: "We didn't think that was the case because we know that all the injuries he had were genuine injuries.

"But that's Gavin for you and I'm sure that we haven't seen the best of Gavin yet.

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"It's [offering to be unpaid] a sign of his integrity."

The Ospreys denied several reports over the summer that Henson was to retire because of repeated Achilles and groin injuries.

The Welsh region admitted the root cause of Henson's problems was a mystery.

But Cuddy insisted: "I'm sure that we haven't seen the best of Gavin yet."

Henson starred in Wales' 2005 and 2008 Grand Slams, but his career in between and since has been blighted by injuries, leading to to poor form and public and media criticism.

Having been omitted from Wales' 2003 and 2007 World Cup squads, Henson also missed the summer's British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa after being injured against Gloucester in March.

Businessman Cuddy said Henson's absence was purely about the combination of injuries affecting him.

And Cuddy would not offer a date by which he expected Henson, whose contract with the region is due to expire at the end of the 2010/11 season, to return.

Cuddy said: "[Henson's absence is] about injury. I keep on saying that he's had a torrid two or three years and because he hasn't been able to do what he does best that would make him an unhappy guy as well.

"One thing, he is an honest boy, and he wants to do his best and he's still only 27.

"He's got five, six, seven good years in front of him and let's hope that the decision to rest it longer will be the right one.

[Henson's] He's taking as much time as he needs to and we are willing for him to do that

Ospreys director Mike Cuddy
"[His spirits] are good. I think it's good because he feels like he's getting better. It's the first time he's given it [the injuries] time.

"Because he's such a good player everybody's rushing him back.

"We all want players back on the park as quickly as possible, especially the better ones and he's been no real exception.

"And he's a very loyal boy and it's just been a catastrophe for the last two or three years where he's come back, he's been injured, he's come back, he's been injured.

"So he's the only person really who knows his body and he's taking as much time as he needs to and we are willing for him to do that."

Cuddy also claimed people in the media had played a part in undermining Henson's morale, saying many of those who had criticised the player now wanted to see him back in action.