No Welsh drinking culture - Gatland

Wales coach Warren Gatland has denied there is a drinking culture in the game.

Yesterday, Wales prop Rhys Thomas and his Newport Gwent Dragons team-mate Rhodri Gomer Davies were reprimanded and cautioned after they were involved in a fracas outside a nightclub in Italy.

The players were detained for two nights by Italian police following the incident in Treviso and had to appear in court.

On the same day Wales and Ospreys centre Gavin Henson was charged with a public order offence after an alleged disturbance on a London to Cardiff train on December 2.

However, Gatland has dismissed suggestions there are any problems or causes for concern in Welsh rugby.

“Anyone I have spoken to a huge range of people in the game [who] said they felt strongly that there is not a drinking culture in Welsh rugby,” the former Wasps coach told the Daily Mail.

“But sometimes boys do have a few too many drinks. I have no problem with players having a couple of beers but we don’t want to see incidents in the media as a result.

“If it does keep happening then it is something we have to eliminate.

“But I’m not going to ban the players from ever having a drink. I’ve seen New Zealand teams impose draconian measures before and they have backfired.”