Former Wales full-back Lee Byrne has revealed in his autobiography 'The Byrne Identity' that he felt humiliated by then assistant coach Rob Howley during his final years with the national team. Byrne, who helped Wales win the 2008 Grand Slam, accused Howley of a systematic campaign to undermine him.
Byrne wrote that Howley would praise teammate Leigh Halfpenny for kicks while ignoring his own successful efforts, and would loudly criticise his mistakes. He described the treatment as a 'grinding-down process' designed to force him out of the team. Howley denied the allegations, saying he was 'very surprised' at the comments.
The Welsh Rugby Union said it would contact Byrne to discuss his concerns, but Byrne later revealed that nothing came of his conversation with WRU chairman Gareth Davies. In 2019, after Howley received a nine-month ban for betting breaches, Byrne questioned why people felt sorry for him.
Another notable feud involved former coach Lynn Howells and ex-WRU chief David Moffett. Howells, in his book 'Despite the Knock-backs', described Moffett as 'one of the most ignorant men I've met', accusing him of refusing to engage in discussion. Howells compared Moffett's role in the demise of the Celtic Warriors to the pit closures of the 1980s.
