GRAND SLAMMED

WALES’ Grand Slam heroes have received a personal apology for the off-field debacle which threatened to derail their glory bid.

Warren Gatland’s team swept the Six Nations but only after overcoming what hooker Ken Owens branded “the most challenging of situations I or arguably any player has faced during our rugby careers”.

Welsh Rugby Union boss Martyn Phillips (above) yesterday admitted the timing of news of a potential merger between the Ospreys and Scarlets regional teams had been all wrong. Coming just days before a crunch game at Murrayfield, the Project Reset announcement was branded Project Inept and condemned by Gatland for distracting his squad.

On the day he confirmed the collapse of the proposed merger, Phillips said: “After the Scotland game I went into the dressing room and apologised. I take the blame, as do other people on the Professional Game board. The players dug deep and performed despite that.”

Phillips found himself embroiled in another player issue this week, with Wales fly-half Gareth Anscombe warning the country’s best players could be forced into big-money moves to England if not compensated for achievements at Test level.

The WRU have introduced a banding system to define pay. It is unpopular in some quarters as Wales’ leading lights – Anscombe included – believe it limits their earning potential.

But Phillips said: “We’ve put in a system and I’m confident we can get it to work. There will be teething problems, but it’s the right thing to do. We’re a small nation and we have to be really smart about how we spend our money.”

Asked if he was concerned Wales’ stars could leave for England, he responded: “I’d never not be concerned. The whole reason of doing this is to try and keep players in Wales.

“Players will leave. There will be players who will always get stunning offers whatever country you are.

“But we believe the money we’ve put in is fair.”

Phillips has not given up hope of keeping defence coach Shaun Edwards (above) within the Welsh system, despite him being widely expected to rejoin Wasps this summer.

Wayne Pivac takes over from Gatland after the World Cup and said Edwards, who initially announced he would return to rugby league with Wigan Warriors, will not be retained.

But Phillips said: “I told Shaun we would love to have a conversation about his future.”

‘I take the blame, as do other people on the Professional Game board’