By Barney Burnham
November 6 2004

The news we feared but hoped we'd never hear. Rob Howley has retired. Rob Howley has retired - four words that can't begin to say everything that should be said about this great, great player. Ever since the end of last season, the rumours have been circulating, and now they've become reality. Just how good was Rob Howley? The simple answer is that he was one of the greatest scrum-halves ever to grace the rugby field. As good as the incomparable Gareth Edwards? A tough call, and one which is hardly worth trying to make.

Edwards was lucky enough to play in an outstanding Welsh team. Rob never had that luxury. Instead, it was his misfortune to be at the helm, during a time when the once-fiery Welsh dragon could barely light a candle.

When he did finally get the chance to play behind a dominant pack, on the 1997 Lions tour, the cruel hand of fate struck, in the form of a shoulder injury, which denied him the Test spot he so richly deserved. Anyone who has seen the "Living with Lions" film of that tour can recall the agony etched over his already drawn face, as he heard the shattering news that his tour was over.

He did finally claim the Lions Test place four years later, playing a major part in that glorious win at the Gabba. Sadly, injury struck again, in the Second Test, and his second tour was cut short prematurely.

A year later, when news of his retirement from international rugby, and the move to Wasps, was announced, many Welsh fans denounced him as a Judas. Shame on them. He could hardly have given more to his country's cause, and had suffered the indignity of being stripped of the captaincy, by Graham Henry. When Cardiff couldn't offer him a worthwhile contract, he took his services elsewhere. Simple, really.

While his arrival was welcomed by the vast majority of Wasps supporters, there were a few doubters. It took him a few games to settle in, but once he had.... Look at the DVDs of the last two triumphant seasons, and count up the number of games which were turned by a moment of Howley magic. That instinctive eye for an opening, the lightning acceleration, the surprising strength.

It's ironic that the same doubts voiced about him have also been voiced about Matt Dawson. The view of Warren Gatland, who knows a thing or two, is that it takes some time to get used to the Wasps way of playing. When discussing Dawson's early form, which hadn't pleased the doubters, he pointed out that it had also taken Howley some time to settle in. The indications now are that our latest Lions acquisition could prove to be every bit as valuable as our last one.

If you're going to go, go while you're at the top. It would be difficult for anyone to match that Twickenham moment, which Clement Poitrenaud and Rob will both carry to the grave, as will thousands of Wasps and Toulouse fans, not to mention millions of TV viewers.

It says much for the man that, ever since his wrist was stamped on, in that brutal match at Perpignan, he'd been unable to take part in contact training, and required painkillers before matches. It's hard to imagine the pain he must have been in, but it didn't stop him producing a string of outstanding performances - performances of a standard which would surely have earned him another Lions tour next summer. Alas, that is not to be. How poignant it is, to read that, now, he can't even lift his beloved young daughters - that must hurt far more than missing out on the trip to New Zealand.

As well as being a truly great player, he is a gentleman - both on and off the field. Anyone who's been lucky enough to talk to him - most memorably, in the Orange Tree, after the Heineken Cup Final - can testify that he is approachable, affable and modest. A true role model for our sport.

The word many of us have used to sum up the past two years is "privilege". It truly has been a privilege to watch this magnificent player plying his trade in the Wasps shirt. It's also been a privilege to meet a man whose ego is in inverse proportion to his ability.

We say farewell to a giant of the game, and a man who, in two short years, has become a true Wasps legend. He's given us memories to treasure, and we shall always be grateful. Good luck to Rob and his family, in everything that they do in the future. They can rest assured that they will always be guaranteed a welcome in Wycombe, or wherever!