'Howley was a bit of a bully... back then you could get away with it'

Former Welsh international Andy Powell has said that while he doesn't hold any grudges against Rob Howley, he does believe descriptions of the former Wales assistant coach as a 'bully' were accurate.

In a new RugbyPass documentary on Powell's life after professional rugby - it goes live on January 1 - the former No8 discussed his strained relationship with Howley, Warren Gatland's then-assistant coach.

In 2017 former Welsh star Lee Byrne -  in a tell-all autobiography: The Byrne Identity -  infamously claimed Howley bullied him during his time with Wales, the former full-back feeling his career was effectively over with Howley occupying an influential role in Wales' camp.

Now Powell has suggested he was also on the receiving end from Howley, who is currently suspended from the sport after being sent home from Japan before the start of the recent World Cup. An independent Welsh Rugby Union disciplinary panel found he had made 363 bets covering 1,163 rugby matches over a four-year period.

"Rob Howley, what he has achieved in his whole career as a player was outstanding, and as a coach as well," said Powell, who hosted RugbyPass in Brecon in 2019.

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"Me and him probably didn't see eye to eye. When I first joined Cardiff he had listened to a few too many people - (saying) that I was hard to coach.

"We didn't get off to right start really. We had a few fallouts. I heard a few things with Lee Byrne saying he was a bit of a bully, and he was a bit of bully.

"I think back then you could get away with it. I didn't see eye to eye with him and it's one of those things. You can't get on with everybody.

"I don't think it was just me as a player. It was other players as well. We won't mention any names but I think if you read Lee Byrne's book he addresses some of them in there, that he was a bit of a bully. That's life. That's the way it is."

WATCH: Life After Rugby: Andy Powell is released on January 1