Warren Gatland speaks out on Sam Parry’s shock Wales exit in TV interview

Warren Gatland has addressed the controversy surrounding Sam Parry’s decision to leave the Wales squad, insisting he was happy to speak with the player amid reports he felt ‘disrespected “.

Gatland insisted he had been clear with Parry about his role when he joined the team earlier this week. This followed newspaper reports, Parry was shocked to discover he was not in contention for a tour of Australia and was simply part of the squad to help the team prepare. The Ospreys hooker has left the team with immediate effect.

The Daily Mail also claimed that Parry was given less kit than other players and was discussed in a team meeting “after the fact”.

Although Parry has not spoken publicly, Gatland was asked about the situation by S4C ahead of the South Africa v Wales match.

He said: “I haven’t seen anything to suggest he actually said anything. I think someone else is commenting. You would need to talk to him and my door is always open to chat with all players if they have any feelings or need clarification.

“We were very clear in our discussions with him at the beginning of the week when he joined the team, so, you know, if he wants to contact us, I’ll be more than happy to (talk to him).”

You can watch Gatland’s interview below.

You can follow South Africa vs Wales live here.