AT last the Welsh Rugby Union has acted decisively in the wake of yet another scandal involving one of its leading players.

Clearly last week's Mike Phillips incident in a Cardiff street at 3am was one too many with Welsh rugby plunging into the gutter again, literally on this occasion.

This time the WRU through chief executive Roger Lewis responded swiftly, suspending Phillips from the World Cup training squad indefinitely.

This was absolutely the right thing to do after Phillips was filmed on a mobile head down on the pavement being restrained by a bouncer until the police arrived to take him away though no actual arrest was made.

To say it was unedifying would be a massive understatement, disgraceful more like after yet another episode to follow in the footsteps of a host of others recently.

And coming on top of another disgrace, on the field this time, with the Wales Under 20s thrashed 92-0 by New Zealand in the Junior World Cup in Italy, a record defeat at any level, Welsh rugby needed this like it needed a hole in the head.

In this column on April 26 I stated 'Welsh rugby is engulfed in a brawl of shame (after lock Bradley Davies was arrested) yet all we get from the governing body is a deafening silence.'

That was a reference to the WRU doing nothing in the wake of a whole raft of incidents, Andy Powell and Gavin Henson being suspended by their clubs, Powell after a brawl in a London pub and Henson for insulting his own teammates.

Clearly this could not go on, and Phillips’ shocker finally stung it into action, the scrum half now languishing on the sidelines and said to be ready to make a full apology for his behaviour.

It may take more than that to get him reinstated, for although you may have your views on the individual who wasted no time in snapping the incident on his mobile before circulating it via the internet, it was still completely unacceptable.

Former Welsh greats have understandably expressed their shock/horror, JJ Williams calling it 'unforgivable' and asking 'Can you imagine Gareth Edwards behaving like this?' while the great ambassador Edwards describes the incident as 'bitterly disappointing.'

Michael Owen, on the other hand, told the Argus that too many people have rushed to judge Phillips without knowing the full facts and how some like to take successful players down a peg or two.

The WRU obviously take a different view and has now drawn up, with the help of senior players, a code of conduct which everyone must adhere to.

When or whether Phillips returns to the squad is now largely in the hands of coach Warren Gatland. If he is suitably apologetic and if Gatland really wants him to be part of the World Cup squad it may be sooner rather than later.

On that basis Phillips could miss the first Polish training camp next month but return for the second one and be available for the August internationals against England (twice) and Argentina.

If on the other hand Gatland, and Lewis, want to make Phillips sweat and if they feel, as some do, that Phillips is a bit of a busted flush then who knows? He could even miss the World Cup which really would be harsh punishment.

But in this day and age you can't put a foot out of line because of the worldwide attention the sport gets with all kinds of access and exposure possible via different sites.

It's a far cry from the days decades ago when hotels were wrecked and all manner of illicit goings on were part and parcel of rugby and went largely unnoticed. If a fraction of the things which happened in those days occurred now it would be front page news on a regular basis.

No more. It's a professional game (though brown envelopes stuffed full of money handed over to some players were commonplace even then) and standards of behaviour have had to rise accordingly.

Not that people like Edwards and Gerald Davies would ever conduct themselves in such a shocking way as some have recently, but the forwards at the coalface did over indulge themselves, shall we say.

Be that as it may, it's all changed now and Welsh rugby has appeared to be worse than most in getting its share of unwanted headlines.

Clearly it couldn't go on, and after this belated action by the governing body woe betide anyone who steps badly out of line again. Not before time either!

And while we're at it, Henson has yet again shown his appetite for off-the-field activities as he allows himself to get involved in stupid, mindless celebrity television programmes, this time pursued by 25 females who all want to date him.

He's doing nothing wrong this time and players get on with different things in their downtime - Jamie Roberts studying to be a doctor for example, so why not?

But the point is if Henson is away from the squad contracted to take part in this latest piece of rubbish and has had to be given a personal training programme then how much is his focus going to be on rugby and the World Cup?

First the Ospreys and now Gatland have bent over backwards to accommodate him, for he undoubtedly has talent as a rugby player, but it's about time Henson showed some dedication to the sport he is supposed to love and started to give something back.

RORY’S GLORY

RORY be! What a magnificent triumph by golf's latest superstar as Rory McIlroy astonishingly became the second Northern Irishman in successive years to win the US Open in the early hours of yesterday morning.

But whereas Graeme McDowell, last year's winner, Wales Open winner and Ryder Cup hero has been around for years McIlroy is little more than a beginner.

The lowest ever winning total in the US Open, all four rounds sub par and under 70, record after record tumbled to this guy. Yet he is only 22.

He showed he had quickly learnt the lessons of the US Masters when he led after three rounds, also by a comfortable margin only to lose it on the last day.

Lesson learnt, more focus, greater discipline, it was all there as Mcllroy showed no sign of weakening this time.

Shot after glorious shot, completely unruffled, on and on he strode as the normally unforgiving, completely biased American crowds took to the genial young intruder.

The roars greeted him down every fairway and around every green as he continued unaffected, winning by a mammoth eight shots.

The sky really is the limit for him and you get the feeling this grounded golfer won't let it go to his head and that he will win many more majors now he's broken through.

He's got years ahead of him and could even overtake Tiger Woods and challenge Jack Nicklaus' record number of Major victories.

The new Tiger Woods? Not at all. It's the first, the one and only, Rory McIlroy.