Rhys Webb

Rhys Webb (born 9 December 1988) is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for Ospreys. Born in Bridgend, he is a product of the Ospreys academy and played club rugby for Bridgend RFC and Aberavon RFC before breaking into the regional side in 2008. He played for the Ospreys for 10 years before moving to French club Toulon in 2018, but terminated his contract with them in 2020 and agreed a return to the Ospreys; however, he was unable to join the Ospreys immediately and signed for Bath for the remainder of the 2019–20 season before returning to the Ospreys.

Rhys Webb
Webb at the Wales Grand Slam celebration at the Senedd building, Cardiff, in March 2012
Date of birth (1988-12-09) 9 December 1988
Place of birthBridgend, Wales
Height183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight93 kg (14 st 9 lb)
SchoolBrynteg Comprehensive School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Scrum-half
Current team Bath
Youth career
Bridgend Athletic
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2006–2009 Bridgend 13 (20)
2009–2011 Aberavon 12 (15)
2007–2018 Ospreys 154 (195)
2018–2020 Toulon 29 (20)
2020 Bath 1 (0)
2020– Ospreys ()
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2004 Wales U16 ? (?)
2006 Wales U18 ? (?)
2007 Wales U19 7 (0)
2008 Wales U20 7 (5)
2012–2018 2020- Wales 33 (35)
2017 British and Irish Lions 2 (5)
National sevens team(s)
Years Team Comps
2009 Wales

Webb represented Wales at under-16, under-18, under-19 and under-20 levels, as well as in international rugby sevens, before making his debut for the senior national team in 2012. He played 31 times before the Welsh Rugby Union's selection criteria meant his move to Toulon made him ineligible for further selection; however, his decision to return to the Ospreys in 2020 meant he could again be included in the selection pool. Webb was also selected in the British and Irish Lions' squad for their 2017 tour to New Zealand.

Career

Club career

Born in Bridgend and educated at Brynteg Comprehensive School,[1] Webb began his rugby career with Bridgend Athletic RFC, and also played for Bridgend RFC and Aberavon RFC in the Welsh Premiership[2] while coming through the Ospreys age grade system; he won the Reebok Regional Championship trophy with the under-18s side during the 2005–06 season and was a losing finalist with the under-20s during the 2006–07 season.

He made his debut for the senior regional side in March 2008, coming on as a substitute for Shane Williams in a 32–7 win over Ulster.[3] He made another substitute appearance in a 19–18 loss to Edinburgh a month later, replacing Justin Marshall,[4] before starting the final two games of the season against the Newport Gwent Dragons and Connacht.[5][6] At the end of the season, he signed a new four-year contract with the region.[7]

Injuries to fellow scrum-halves Mike Phillips and Jamie Nutbrown during the 2008–09 season meant more opportunities for Webb to make an impression in the Ospreys first team, making 11 appearances during the season. He played just twice in the team's title-winning 2009–10 campaign, but eventually supplanted Phillips as the Ospreys' starting scrum-half during the 2010–11 season, after impressing while Phillips was on Wales duty. He suffered a shoulder injury at the end of the season, but underwent surgery and was fit enough to begin the 2011–12 season as the team's starting scrum-half,[8] replacing Phillips, who had moved to Bayonne.[9] Webb scored his first senior try in the opening game of the season, a 27–3 win at home to Leinster.[10] He scored again the following week against Edinburgh,[11] and added two more before the end of the season.

In March 2015, Webb became the eighth player to sign a dual-contract between club and the WRU.[12]

An ankle injury suffered in Wales' opening Autumn international against Australia on 5 November ruled him out for up to 12 weeks, but recovered slightly ahead of schedule,[13] and scored within four minutes of his return to club rugby as he captained the Ospreys to a 26–21 win over Newcastle Falcons in the Challenge Cup on 21 January.[14] He also played the first half of the Ospreys' 20–14 Anglo-Welsh Cup win over Bristol, before returning to Wales duty for the 2017 Six Nations.[15]

On 10 October 2017, it was announced that Webb would leave Ospreys after 10 years with the region to join French club Toulon in the Top 14 on a three-year contract. In March 2018, Webb suffered a knee injury and missed the remainder of the season, bringing his time with the Ospreys to a premature end.[16]

In December 2019, Webb cut short his contract with Toulon to return to the Ospreys in the summer of 2020.[17] Webb had been due to see out the remainder of the season with Toulon, but the club's owner accused Webb of having shown a "dishonest attitude" to get himself released from his contract, and stated that Webb would not play for Toulon again.[18] Now without a club, he signed a short-term deal with Bath in February 2020 for the remainder of the 2019–20 Premiership Rugby season.[19] He made his debut on 1 March 2020, in a 19–13 home defeat to Bristol Bears, the first time Bath had lost at home to Bristol in 14 years.[20]

International career

Webb played for Wales U18 in the 2005–06 U18 Home Four Nations Championship and was called up as a member of the 2006–07 Wales U19 set-up for the IRB U19 World Championships. He was called up to the Wales U20 squad for the 2007–2008 RBS U20 Six Nations Championships where he played three times and scored a try, and was also in the squad for the 2008 IRB Junior World Championships.

Webb was a member of the Wales squad that won the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Dubai and remained part of the national rugby sevens set-up in 2010.[21]

In January 2012, he was called into Wales' 35-man senior squad for the training camp in Poland prior to the 2012 Six Nations Championship.[22] He made his full international debut for Wales against Italy on 10 March 2012 as a second-half replacement.

On 6 September 2015, Webb was injured during a warm up match against Italy and was ruled out of the 2015 Rugby World Cup. He was replaced by Gareth Davies.

Recalled during the 2016 Six Nations Championship after a remarkable recovery, producing man-of-the-match performances for the Ospreys, Webb replaced Davies at scrum-half during the match against England. He was then back at first-choice for his position, starting for Wales' last match of the tournament against Italy.

Webb began the 2016 Autumn internationals as Wales' first-choice scrum-half, but suffered a serious ankle injury during the second half of their opening match against Australia, and following surgery was ruled out for 12 weeks, with his return predicted for just prior to the 2017 Six Nations Championship.[23]

Webb was selected by the British and Irish Lions for their 2017 tour to New Zealand.[24] He appeared as a replacement in two of the test matches on the tour, and scored one try.[25]

Following Webb's decision to leave the Ospreys for Toulon in 2017, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) introduced new regulations governing the selection of players for the national team, whereby players based outside Wales with fewer than 60 caps would no longer be considered for selection, including Webb, who had only 28 caps at the time; however, this met with controversy as Webb agreed to move to Toulon before the rule changes were announced, leading to arguments that they should not apply to him,[26] especially as Toulon claimed the WRU had already agreed terms for Webb's release for international matches during his time there.[27] Webb described the WRU's decision as a "blow",[28] but said he would not reverse his decision despite the change to his selection status.[29] He played in three of Wales' 2017 Autumn internationals, but a knee injury in early 2018 meant he missed the 2018 Six Nations Championship, leaving him unable to add to his 31 caps before leaving for France.[30]

In the lead-up to the 2019 Rugby World Cup, Wales coach Warren Gatland expressed his regret at not being able to select Webb for the tournament,[31] and later said he thought the 60-cap selection threshold was too high.[32] Webb did, however, play a part in the World Cup warm-up matches, appearing for the Barbarians in their 51–43 loss to England.[33]

With Webb's return to the Ospreys agreed in December 2019, he was again made available for selection for Wales duty.[34] He was named in the squad for the 2020 Six Nations Championship on 15 January 2020,[35] and made appearances off the bench in the opening match against Italy[36] and the penultimate match against England,[37] before starting against Scotland on the final weekend, his first start since November 2017.[38]

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gollark: <@151391317740486657> what for then?
gollark: You mean the billboard nearby or something? Which isn't claimed?

References
  1. "British and Irish Lions 2017: Looking at the success of Brynteg Comprehensive School". BBC Sport. 20 April 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  2. Aberavon beat Ebbw Vale 3 March 2010 Walesonline.co.uk
  3. "Ospreys 32-7 Ulster". BBC Sport. 28 March 2008. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  4. "Ospreys 18-19 Edinburgh". BBC Sport. 2 May 2008. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  5. "Dragons 18-10 Ospreys". BBC Sport. 6 May 2008. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  6. "Connacht 24-20 Ospreys". BBC Sport. 9 May 2008. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  7. "Trio sign long-term Ospreys deals". BBC Sport. 5 June 2008. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  8. "Ospreys scrum-half Rhys Webb has surgery". BBC Sport. 26 May 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  9. "Ospreys' Mike Phillips signs for French club Bayonne". BBC Sport. 13 June 2011. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  10. "Ospreys 27-3 Leicester". BBC Sport. 2 September 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  11. "RaboDirect Pro12: Ospreys 26-19 Edinburgh". BBC Sport. 10 September 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  12. "Wales and Ospreys scrum-half Rhys Webb signs dual contract". BBC Sport. 17 March 2015.
  13. "Rhys Webb: Ospreys scrum-half nearing return after ankle injury". BBC Sport. 2 January 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  14. "European Challenge Cup: Newcastle Falcons 21-26 Ospreys". BBC Sport. 21 January 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  15. "Six Nations 2017: Wales scrum-half Rhys Webb comes through Ospreys win". BBC Sport. 28 January 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  16. "Rhys Webb: Ospreys confirm scrum-half is out for season". BBC Sport. 19 March 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  17. "Rhys Webb: Scrum-half agrees to rejoin Ospreys from Toulon". BBC Sport. 31 December 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  18. "Rhys Webb: Toulon boss says Wales scrum-half played last game for club". BBC Sport. 6 January 2020. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  19. "Rhys Webb: Bath sign Wales scrum-half on short-term deal prior to Ospreys move". BBC Sport. 25 February 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  20. "Premiership: Bath 13-19 Bristol - Bears win at The Rec for first time in 14 years". BBC Sport. 1 March 2020. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  21. Craig Hill back for Wales sevens ur7s.com
  22. "Gavin Henson included in Wales' 35-man training squad". BBC Sport.
  23. "Rhys Webb: Wales and Ospreys scrum-half Webb out for 12 weeks". BBC Sport. 11 November 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  24. "British and Irish Lions 2017: Sam Warburton captain, Dylan Hartley out". BBC Sport. 19 April 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  25. "Rhys Webb". British & Irish Lions. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  26. "Rhys Webb to miss out on Wales selection under new rule". BBC Sport. 16 October 2017. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  27. "Rhys Webb: Toulon say they have agreement with WRU". BBC Sport. 10 October 2017. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  28. "Rhys Webb: Ospreys player says Wales' selection policy change is 'a blow'". BBC Sport. 16 October 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  29. "Rhys Webb 'heartbroken' over Wales policy, but will not renege on Toulon move". BBC Sport. 20 October 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  30. "Wales scrum-half Rhys Webb out of Six Nations". BBC Sport. 26 January 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  31. Davies, Cennydd (24 September 2018). "Wales coach Gatland wants selection 'common sense' on scrum-half Rhys Webb". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  32. "Warren Gatland: Former head coach says Wales cap rule is too high". BBC Sport. 14 November 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  33. "Rhys Webb: Wales scrum-half reconciled with World Cup absence". BBC Sport. 2 June 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  34. "Rhys Webb: Wales scrum-half eligible for 2020 Six Nations tournament". BBC Sport. 3 January 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  35. "Six Nations: Louis Rees-Zammit and Nick Tompkins called up by Wales". BBC Sport. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  36. Griffiths, Gareth (1 February 2020). "Six Nations 2020: Josh Adams hat-trick helps Wales thrash Italy". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  37. Fordyce, Tom (7 March 2020). "England 33-30 Wales: Dramatic end on a confusing day in the Six Nations". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  38. "Wales v Scotland: Rhys Webb starts for hosts in Six Nations". BBC Sport. 12 March 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
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