Rhys Webb has been left out of Toulon’s squad for the European Challenge Cup clash against the Scarlets in Llanelli on Saturday, denying him the chance of a pre-Six Nations showdown with Wales rival Gareth Davies.
The selection confirms that the 31-year-old Lions Test man is out in the cold at Stade Mayol after Toulon’s new owner Bernard Lemaitre said the Welshman had played his last game for the club.
Bound for the Ospreys next season, Webb was last week exempted from the Welsh Rugby Union’s 60-cap rule on exiled players, freeing him up to feature in the Six Nations.
He would have wanted the chance to remind Wayne Pivac what he can do in opposition to Davies, just days ahead of the Kiwi’s squad announcement for the championship.
But that isn’t going to happen. Toulon’s head coach Patrice Collazo has left him out of the side to face the Scarlets.
Collazo said: “I had to judge that he was not able to be competitive for this match.
“I don't know what else I can say. To play at a high level, you have to be good rugby and psychologically. I had to imagine that he had neither.”
Webb will know that to improve his chances of regaining the Wales No. 9 shirt he needs to be playing, but right now Toulon appear in no mood to give him that opportunity.
On their official Twitter account they listed him among a number of players classed as being “outside the group”, with Baptiste Serin and Yoan Cottin named as scrum-halves.
Earlier this week, owner Lamaitre took a swipe at what he called a “dishonest attitude” over Webb’s move back home, appearing to suggest the Wales selection change had come out of the blue.
He said: "It takes us to a situation where I think Rhys Webb will not play in the Toulon shirt again. The adventure will be cut short."
Webb’s representative Derwyn Jones said this week a request for dispensation to the Professional Rugby Board in Wales over the 60-cap rule came after Toulon had agreed to the player returning to the Ospreys.
Webb will only miss one Toulon match during the Six Nations but the club are evidently less than impressed with the idea his focus might be elsehwere.
