Wales Head Coach Warren Gatland Stands by Unhappy Hooker Sam Parry, Denies Any ‘Disrespect’
In a tense post-match press conference, Wales head coach Warren Gatland fiercely denied that he had “disrespected” Ospreys star Sam Parry, claiming the “door is still open” for the hooker to return to the national squad.
Gatland’s comments came after Parry, 32, withdrew from the training camp earlier this week, having learned that he had only been called up to help the squad prepare and was not in contention for a place on the upcoming three-Test tour of Australia.
“There was certainly no disrespect shown towards him,” Gatland insisted. “We were disappointed he left and surprised. We had been very clear in talks with him what we wanted and expected from him when he came into the training camp. You would have to ask him what the problem was, but as far as I am concerned it was all clear.”
The Wales boss remained adamant that his “door is always open in terms of having a discussion with any players if they have any feelings or need anything clarified,” adding that “I would never close a door on a player and it is still open to him in terms of future selection.”
Gatland’s comments came on the back of Wales’ seventh successive Test loss, as they fell 41-13 to the dominant world champion Springboks at Twickenham. The coach, however, found positives in his young squad’s performance, especially in the first half.
“I was especially pleased with the way we reacted to going behind so early and the boys did very well to bounce back,” he said. “The first half was very even. There were a few refereeing decisions that were not too obvious to me that went against us.”
Springboks boss Rassie Erasmus also acknowledged his side’s struggles in the opening half, admitting, “We were not at our best in that first-half but I was very pleased with the guys after that. We were more clinical and accurate in the second half.”
As Wales now prepare to fly to Australia, Gatland’s focus will be on rebuilding confidence and finding a way to end their run of losses, while also keeping the door open for the potential return of the experienced Parry.
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