By Graham Thomas
Rhys Webb could still make it back from injury to play a part in the Six Nations, according to his Ospreys coach Steve Tandy.
Webb played his first match since September last Sunday when he returned for his region in their 21-17 victory over Munster in Cork.
It was his reintroduction to the fray after a serious foot injury wrecked his opportunity to play in last autumn’s World Cup.
The Wales scrum-half suffered a fresh setback, however, when he was left concussed following a nasty collision – an injury which means he will miss this Friday’s home Pro12 match against Edinburgh.
Despite that, Tandy believes Webb could yet feature in the final two matches of the Test tournament against England and Italy.
“Rhys is an outstanding player and it’s about making sure he gets enough minutes now and getting prepared,” said Tandy.
“Going back to international duty will be a big step up but it’s only a minor blip for Rhys. I thought he showed at the weekend for half an hour what an outstanding rugby player he is and how he has looked after himself to come back so quickly.
“I don’t think it will put Rhys back too far. At the end of the day, Wales have pretty strong armaments there, with Gareth Davies playing well.
“But you know Webby will slot back in pretty quickly. Warren Gatland is well aware of how much rugby you need to play. He’s probably got his own mind on it.
“If Rhys had to go back he would perform. I have no doubt about it. It’s now about making sure he’s match ready for those international windows.”
Tandy was impressed by Webb’s first match for almost five months and the impact he was able to deliver.
“He didn’t look as if he’d been away. I thought he really controlled the game, slowed it down when he needed to, and sped it up when we were getting into good positions.
“It’s always great for young boys who are coming onto the field to look around and see a high-class international like Rhys coming on. He’s been buzzing around the place for the past two weekends. I thought he really helped us drive home that win.”