Rob Howley admits he was "hugely disappointed" that a potential return to Welsh rugby as Warren Gatland's assistant coach was blocked by senior Welsh Rugby Union figures.
After returning for a second stint as Wales head coach, one of Gatland's first moves was to try and re-hire his former attack coach who was an integral part of Wales' backroom team for the entirety of the New Zealander's first 12 years in charge.
But a return for Howley, who has served his 18-month ban for breaching World Rugby's betting laws and now works for Rugby Canada, was blocked by the WRU board, who felt the timing wasn't right. Howley was sent home from the 2019 Rugby World Cup when the betting scandal broke.
