Welsh international Gavin Henson has admitted he could happily see out his playing days on the Cote d'Azur.

The 29-year-old finally made his Toulon debut on Saturday, and was clearly awestruck afterwards having scored one try, set up another and completed the full 80 minutes.

Bonus time for Toulon after Henson try

"To play in front of that crowd every week would be incredible, the atmosphere in the ground was like an international," he said after helping Toulon beat Stade Francais 38-10 in front of the club's adoring home fans at the Stade Félix Mayol.

Henson joined Toulon at the beginning of February but had to wait until Saturday to make his debut after being held up by a lingering calf injury. But the wait proved worthwhile for the Toulon faithful as the former Ospreys star showed glimpses of the form that made him one of the best inside centres in world rugby. His partnership with fly-half Jonny Wilkinson - who contributed 18 points - rekindled memories of their brief pairing while on tour with the British Lions, and Henson was clearly delighted by how his Top 14 debut went.

Now he would like to use the club's three remaining league games - plus the play-offs hopefully - to convince both Philippe Saint-André and Warren Gatland of his worth. The reward for impressing Saint-André could be a two-year contract at Toulon - where he has only initially signed until the end of this season - while Wales boss Gatland will make the call on whether Henson will finally get to play in a World Cup.

"I feel great and more importantly so does my body," said Henson after Saturday's match. "It couldn't have gone better for me; to score a try and set up another was a great day, an unbelievable day. It's a dream come true.

"I was a bit nervous before the game. It has been such a long time since I was out on the rugby pitch and almost two years since I started in the No 12 jersey, so it was just great to play the full 80 minutes," he added.

Henson, who was watched by his parents, believes Toulon could be the perfect place to harness his undoubted talent. "It was really tough coming to a new club with an injury but I have fitted in well and it's great to get my first game under my belt, and I really think Toulon could be a perfect place to re-start my career. I love this part of the world and would be happy to see out my career here," he added.

The Welsh international will now have to wait two weeks for his next appearance as he is ineligible for Toulon's Heineken Cup quarter-final against Perpignan, after making a substitutes' appearance earlier in the competition during his brief sojourn at Saracens. But nothing, it seems, could dampen his joy after Saturday's triumphant return.

"This game will stick in the memory. To score on my debut, in front of that crowd and in front of my parents who came to watch, it's just amazing. Hopefully this is just the start," he said.

Top 14 League Table 2010/11

But while Henson was celebrating his rugby comeback and dreaming of making the Wales squad for the Rugby World Cup, it was doom and gloom for France prop Thomas Domingo after he was stretchered off with knee ligament damage while playing for Clermont Auvergne on Saturday.

The 17-times capped international is expected to undergo surgery this week, with the usual recovery time for such an injury put at six months. That would take him past the start of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, being held in New Zealand, and it's difficult to see France coach Marc Lièvremont now including him in his 30-man squad - to be named on May 11th.

Despite that the 25-year-old loosehead was trying to remain positive after his injury, insisting that he still retained a glimmer of hope of going to New Zealand.

"I know it's over for the rest of the season, but for the World Cup I haven't given up on it yet," he told AFP.

A club statement by Clermont on Sunday admitted that Domingo's hopes of making the World Cup were now "severely compromised".

Lièvremont will now be monitoring the fitness of fellow loosehead Fabien Barcella even more closely as the Biarritz prop continues his own rehabilitation from a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Elsewhere, weekend reports in New Zealand claimed that All Blacks fly-half Dan Carter had been offered a staggering three-year deal worth $1.6m per season by ambitious Racing-Métro 92.

The deal, which works out at £31,000 per week, dwarfs the offer made by Perpignan - for whom he played five games in 2009 - and could see the talismanic fly-half move to Paris following the World Cup.

Last week All Blacks winger Sitiveni Sivivatu signed for Clermont Auvergne, while others yet to renew contracts include Richie McCaw, Ma'a Nonu, Jo Rokocoko, Brad Thorn and Mils Muliaina.