THE euphoria and the sense of well being don't last for long, not when the Welsh Rugby Union are around.

After the success of the FA Cup Final and Principality Cup final double header, it's back to the drawing board, back to criticism and suspicion. It all surrounds Sunday's game between Wales and the Barbarians and whether caps were being awarded.

Frankly, the whole thing stinks and neither the WRU nor coach Graham Henry comes out of it smelling of roses.

It's all very well Henry trying to deflect criticism by saying it's not an issue, to blame him and have a go at the media for being negative. That, to throw it back at Henry, is not the issue.

The point is that both the WRU and their coach led the Welsh public to believe it was a full international with caps being awarded.

The aim, of course, was to get as big a crowd in as possible because the Union are desperately short of money and need every penny they can get. Why else were Wales' Lions chosen for the game, the odd injury apart, if the match was not that important?

It was only 10 days to departure for the Lions to Australia and it was taking a huge gamble to include them so close to the tour.

But they had to play, otherwise hardly anyone would have gone to watch the match. Not much regard for the top players is it?

And the media were completely manipulated by the WRU and by Henry. There was no attempt to say it was not a full international, and when the media printed or broadcast last week things like: 'Rob Howley earning his 50th cap and Gavin Henson being Wales' youngest outside half'. The truth is nothing was denied.

The media and the general public were all led to believe caps were being given.

But AFTER the game Henry suddenly says it was never intended to award caps.

Why didn't he tell us that as recently as last Thursday instead of saying it was a matter for the WRU? Now he says blame him - very glib. And BEFORE the game the Union told the players caps would not be awarded.

And the reason? Money again, they would save around £100,000 for not having to pay the players in the normal way for a full international. So the WRU want as much money as they can through the gate by giving the impression it's a proper international while at the same time saving as much cash as possible by telling the players it isn't and not paying them the full whack.

And the media and the general public are grossly misled. And yet it's not an issue, of course it's an issue.

It shows utter contempt for the Welsh rugby public and it shows what the people in charge really think of the media. They can all be used, and to hell with principles