GATLAND SAYS DOOR OPEN FOR SAM
WARREN Gatland has given a detailed explanation of the events that led to one of his players quitting his Wales squad earlier this week, insisting he didn’t intend to upset him.
Ospreys hooker Sam Parry left the squad with immediate effect on Monday, amid reports he felt “disrespected” by Gatland.
The Daily Mail claimed Parry, who has seven caps for Wales, was shocked to discover he was not in contention to tour Australia and was just in the squad to help the team prepare, having allegedly also been discussed in a team meeting as an “afterthought” and given less kit than other players.
Gatland addressed the controversy ahead of his side’s 41-13 defeat to South Africa yesterday, telling S4C that he had been “honest and upfront” with the Ospreys man and that his door was “always open” for players to air concerns.
He reiterated that at the full-time whistle, but went into much greater detail about what had transpired in camp earlier in the week.
Asked about Parry’s response, the coach said simply: “He left on Monday. I was surprised he left the squad.”
But quizzed on exactly what had led the 32-year-old to leave, he said: “He didn’t talk to me. You need to talk to Sam because he hasn’t spoken to anyone,” the Wales boss explained.
“I understand his agent has been pretty vocal and stuff which is a little bit disappointing.
“Look, Sam came in the week before.
“I was straight up with him and told him what the situation he was in in the squad.
“We’ve put a release out to all the players that we’d picked a squad of 37 and we were only taking 34 on tour. I just wanted to be straight up and front him as a player. I’d like to know where I actually stood.
“I said that he was initially covering for Elliot (Dee) with the injury. So, I was clear in that. I said: ‘Look I don’t want to stuff you around, you’ve been brilliant for us when you’ve come in in the past and we’ll just see what happens with that.’