WRU set for talks with Byrne about his claims over Howley

WELSH rugby chiefs are ready to meet Lee Byrne to discuss concerns raised in his new book about how he was treated by Warren Gatland’s Wales deputy Rob Howley.

The WRU have reacted sensitively to the claims made by the 46-times capped Wales star in his autobiography ‘The Byrne Identity’, which we are running extracts from over the next three days.

Byrne, a key member of the 2008 Grand Slam winning side under Gatland and once dubbed the world’s best full-back, deals with his dismay over Howley’s handling of him in the prologue to the book.

He says Howley ‘tried to humiliate me in front of my team-mates’ during training sessions and outlines how he had to call time on his Wales career. WRU chief executive Martyn Phillips has a strong background in HR and is thought to be ready to meet Byrne in person to discuss the matter.

A WRU statement read: “As a matter of course, we will contact Lee to fully understand his concerns regarding his treatment towards the end of his time with Wales.

“We will then determine whether any further comment needs to be made.”

Byrne played for Wales between 2005-2011 and outlines how he refused to answer a call from Howley to return to the fold for a 2013 autumn international against Tonga.

Byrne was shining for Clermont in France at the time, but wasn’t being chosen by his country.