Bradley Davies’ suffered three-day memory loss after being punched by All Black

Published on 30/11/2012 00:00

BRADLEY DAVIES, the Welshman flattened by a swinging 
arm from New Zealand hooker Andrew Hore, suffered three-day memory loss as a result of the incident.

Hore was handed a five-week ban for punching Davies from behind in the first minute of the All Blacks’ 33-10 win over Wales on Saturday, putting the lock in hospital with severe concussion. “I felt very groggy for a while afterwards,” Davies said yesterday. “My last memory before the game was last Wednesday and my mind has pretty much gone blank since then. I was in college doing a plumbing course and I cut my finger with a hacksaw. That was the last thing I can 
remember.”

Hore has apologised for the punch and has been in daily contact with Davies. “I want to say how bad I feel and how embarrassed I am to be in this situation,” Hore said. “It is not the All Black way and I have let myself down and the team and probably the whole country is pretty proud of what we do.”

Davies holds no grudges, however, despite many critics calling for a heavier sanction on Hore. “It was a bit naughty, but he caught me a cracker and that is rugby,” said Davies, who will miss tomorrow’s match against Australia while he recovers.

Wales team (v Australia): L Halfpenny (Cardiff); A Cuthbert (Cardiff), J Davies (Scarlets), J Roberts (Cardiff), L Williams (Scarlets); R Priestland (Scarlets), M Phillips (Bayonne); G Jenkins (Toulon), M Rees (Scarlets), S Andrews (Cardiff), I Evans (Ospreys), L Charteris (Perpignan), A Shingler (Scarlets), S Warburton (Cardiff, capt), T Faletau (Dragons). Subs: K Owens (Scarlets), R Bevington (Ospreys), S Lee (Scarlets), R Jones (Ospreys), J Tipuric (Ospreys), T Knoyle (Scarlets), D Biggar (Ospreys), S Williams (Scarlets).