Rhys Webb to go through with Toulon move that will end his Wales career after 'heartbreaking' rule change
Scrum-half will not be able to play for Wales from the end of the season
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Your support makes all the difference.Rhys Webb has said that the new Welsh selection policy that will all but end his international career has left him “heartbroken”, but the scrum-half confirmed that he will not perform a U-turn on his move to Toulon at the end of the season.
The 28-year-old will leave the Ospreys at the end of the season to join French side Toulon in a move that will rule him ineligible for Wales due to the Welsh Rugby Union’s new Senior Player Selection Policy [SPSP], which states any player based abroad will need at least 60 caps to remain in contention for the national team.
Webb has already denied being spoken to about an impending policy change before he signed with Toulon two weeks ago, and the British and Irish Lion has now spoken of his sadness that his international career will be put on hiatus until he decided to return to his homeland.
“I don't know how long it's going to take me to get over it,” Webb said ahead of the Ospreys’ trip to Saracens this Saturday.
“It's a joke. I'm disappointed. Representing your country means so much to me and being told I won't be able to play for them is heartbreaking.”
Webb has agreed a three-year deal with Toulon from 2018 that will mean, with 28 Test caps, he will be ineligible for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Wales head coach Warren Gatland is facing the prospect of losing the current first-choice scrum-half for the rest of his tenure as the New Zealander will leave the Welsh set-up following the tournament, and his hopes that Webb could yet renege on his Toulon deal to remain in Wales looks to have failed as the half-back confirmed he still intends to move to the south of France.
“I made my mind up on the basis that the policy was the wildcard system. No-one had mentioned it was going to change,” Webb added.
“I signed for Toulon on the basis if I was playing well I could still be considered. It was still such a tough decision. I felt I had to speak to the Ospreys face to face. It was heartbreaking to tell them.
“No-one had told me [about the policy change]. Not even the Ospreys had mentioned in when I went to see them.”
Asked directly if a U-turn is a possibility, Webb answered: “I won't be doing that. My future lies in Toulon.”
It is a major blow for Wales given Webb’s form since replacing veteran scrum-half Mike Phillips, with Gatland now left to select from Scarlets No 9 Gareth Davies, his club colleague Aled Davies and Tomos Williams of the Cardiff Blues.
However, Webb did drop a hint that had the WRU made a better offer to him via the National Dual Contract system, he could have remained in Wales for the foreseeable future.
“I listened to the offer from the WRU and I didn't feel they were valuing me with the right offer. I felt I was being devalued,” Webb said.
“The Toulon offer was one I couldn't turn down. It was a dream come true to play for a club like that. Their history in European rugby speaks for itself.
“These chances don't come round often.”
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