Jonathan Davies has urged rugby to give Rob Howley a second chance when his ban for betting on the sport ends this month. Howley, who starred for Wales and the Lions before going on to coach both, spoke movingly yesterday about how blaming himself for the death of his sister led him to gamble on matches in contravention of strict rugby regulations. “It was all about escaping from my dark thoughts,” he told the Mail on Sunday. “It was never about the money.
Never. It gave me an escape. A reason to forget.” Howley’s nine-month ban - for placing 363 bets on matches, including Wales games - ends on June 16 and he is eager to get back into the sport.