GAVIN Henson said it – today is the last chance saloon, not just for him but for other members of the Welsh team who take on the Barbarians at the Millennium Stadium.

Far from being an end of season frolic to celebrate the Welsh Rugby Union’s 130th anniversary, it’s a deadly serious business for most of the Welsh team.

For coach Warren Gatland will be naming a 40+ training squad for the World Cup after the game and he will take in the form of many members of the Welsh team today before deciding on the make-up of that squad.

Top of that list will be Henson, as ever grabbing all the headlines, but at least this time it will be for strictly rugby reasons rather than any off-the-field activities.

For the troubled child of Welsh rugby very much wants to make the World Cup at the third and almost certainly last attempt. He has missed out on the previous two, so he recognises this is his final opportunity.

He’s got to provide some answers today especially as he’s pretty lucky to be given a chance at all considering he’s played so little rugby in the past two-and-a-bit years since he last wore the red jersey.

Gatland wants to see whether he’s still got it, whether he can provide that bit of magic which has been missing as Wales have become increasingly predictable. Today should provide the perfect backdrop.

Never short of confidence in his own ability, Henson will have to prove he can still do the job, that the form he showed in the 2005 and 2008 World Cup campaigns hasn’t deserted him though he spent 18 months out of the game altogether.

He looks fit, he still talks a good game, now he’s got to do some of that talking on the pitch. It won’t be easy, nor should it, for the Barbarians have paired a couple of bulldozers in the centre with Frenchman Mathieu Bastareaud lining up alongside equally menacing Fijian Seru Rabeni.

It may be one thing lifting Matthew Tait off his feet back in 2005, but Henson won’t do anything similar against either player today.

It’s also a red letter day for outside half Stephen Jones who wins his 100th cap and in a departure from normal procedure he was presented l continued from back with his jersey in front of his fellow players by Gatland before the final run-out yesterday.

One player missing from that was replacement Lloyd Burns for a rather special reason - he was geeting married. But 24 hours on he could well become the latest Dragons player to be capped, a remarkable achievement for a player who is still registered with Cross Keys.

A record four Dragons players start, and it will also be a special day for Toby Faletau, the No 8 not just making his debut but becoming the first Tongan-born player to appear for Wales.

He forms part of an exciting young back row, teammate Dan Lydiate the oldest member at 23 alongside fellow flanker Sam Warburton, the new captain at 22, though it’s unclear whether he or Jones will lead the side out.

Aled Brew and Luke Charteris, the other two Dragons in the team, need to carry on where they left off at the end of the season, the winger scoring tries for fun and the lock with some superb all-round displays.

The Baa-Baas have assembled a strong line-up, the young Welsh back row in particular facing a big challenge against opposing captain Sergio Parisse, mighty Springbok Joe van Niekerk and evergreen Martyn Williams while Carl Hayman is a fearsome prop, Brock James a much underrated outside half and Isa Nacewa, Doug Howlett and Paul Sackey a talented back three.

It’s going to be far from easy for an experimental Welsh team. But it’s vital they come through after a pretty poor season in the autumn and Six Nations.