The Wales rugby player flattened by a swinging arm from New Zealand hooker Andrew Hore suffered three-day memory loss as a result of the incident.

Sport24

Hore was handed a five-week ban for punching Bradley 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 on Thursday. “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 Saturday’s match against Australia while he recovers. “I don’t think he tried to knock me out. It is just one of those things. I got in his way and he caught me flush on the jaw.”