Angry Welsh star turns up the heat

Gavin Henson turned up the heat on the Lions management last night, then dominated all the post-game talk after the tourists' win over Southland.

The flashy Welsh second five-eighths, in his own words "devastated, I had a sleepless night" at being overlooked for the first test squad, scored both Lions tries in an otherwise uninspiring victory.

He showed enough classy touches to prompt some hard thinking this morning by Sir Clive Woodward and his management before they name their 22 for Jade Stadium around lunchtime.

But if body language counts for anything, a downcast Henson isn't going to lift the spirits of the squad in a hurry.

"It's out of my hands, which is frustrating," a glum-faced Henson said of his chances of forcing his way into the squad.

"Unless there is a loss or an injury, I'm not sure if I'll be able to get back in there."

Perhaps realising what he had said, Henson added hastily that "I want them to win", but it wasn't said with any great gusto.

Asked what he was doing wrong in the management's eyes, he replied he "hadn't a clue".

"I feel I'm playing quite well at the moment."

He played an hour in the tour opener against Bay of Plenty, then, after having a strong hour against Wellington, was pulled off to give Jonny Wilkinson a run at second five-eighths.

"In the second game I felt I was getting better. I got taken off so I thought everything was going well," he added.

Told that there had been a minor outcry in Wales at his omission from the test squad, Henson said he knew nothing of that but "good, I must be doing something right".

Asked mischievously if his absence had anything to do with off-field activities - his high-profile Welsh singing girlfriend Charlotte Church left New Zealand a few days ago claiming she was"knackered" - Henson replied, "That's a stupid question".

All Wales thinks it's stupid he's not in the test squad. They've got a point.