Gareth Davies: Wales fringe players let themselves down

Image: Gareth Davies of Wales runs with the ball during Tuesday's ill-fated defeat by Waikato Chiefs in Hamilton

Gareth Davies does not expect any of the players who featured against the Chiefs in Hamilton on Tuesday to make the Wales starting line-up against the All Blacks this weekend.

What was largely a Wales second XV were comprehensively thrashed 40-7 by the Chiefs who ran in six tries during the contest.

Head coach Warren Gatland was clearly unimpressed by the fringe players who may now have to sit out Saturday's second Test against New Zealand in Wellington.

Scarlets scrum-half Davies accepts the team played poorly, saying: "There are no excuses, the Chiefs wanted it a lot more than we did and it was a bad day at the office.

"I don't think anyone played well enough to put up their hands to start on Saturday.

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"We blew our chances and we shouldn't have any excuses. We had a very good team out on paper but we just didn't click.

"We've been in camp now for six to eight weeks, we have been with each other training day-in, day-out, and we need to take a good look at ourselves.

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"The coaches are going to be hard on us and we are going to be hard on each other. We have to put it behind us and get ready for the second Test on Saturday.

"We need to look forward to a big training day on Thursday. We are one squad and we need to put this to bed and get ready for the big one at the weekend."

And Luke Charteris agreed that the midweek team had blown their chances of playing in the second Test, adding: "It was a chance for the boys who came on the tour to put up their hand and we spoke about that before the game.

We blew our chances and we shouldn't have any excuses.
Gareth Davies

"When you have a settled Test side it is hard to break in and we were given an opportunity. There are a lot of fringe players who were given a chance and it wasn't taken.

"From a playing point of view, if you are given that opportunity and you don't take it, you can't blame anyone else other than yourself."

Gatland is expected to name his team on Thursday.

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