After 30 years’ service devoted to the success of the Wales senior men’s team, physio Mark Davies is retiring.

Joining as a member of the backroom team in 1992, no one has been part of more Wales men’s Test matches since then than Davies.

He has participated in seven World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours and former players he treated such as Neil Jenkins, Jonathan Humphreys, Martyn Williams, Stephen Jones, Gethin Jenkins and Huw Bennett became colleagues.

Ask any Welsh rugby player of recent history for their views on the man known to everyone as ‘Carcass’ and you will be greeted with a warm response, such is the esteem in which Davies is held.

His rugby longevity has been truly remarkable and Davies will be greatly missed in the national squad set up.

Speaking about his decision to retire Davies said: “I glanced in the mirror once too often and saw my sell-by date.

“The decision to retire is mine. I realise I’ve had a longer run than I could have wished for, but the job is much more active than it used to be and there comes a time when you have to be honest and put your hand up.

“I’ve accumulated a number of ailments over the years which has required a new knee, hip and shoulder. I’ve had a number of fusions in both feet, so long gone are the days when I had four good wheels on my wagon. They are boney problems which is a bit ironic in view of my nickname.

“Somebody called me ‘carcass’ way back in primary school in Maesteg because some bright spark thought it summed up my anatomical state. I was skin and bone at the time and it’s stuck ever since.

“The boney issue now means I can’t get about as quickly as I used to.”

While he may not be in camp with the squad come the autumn, Davies will still be keeping a close eye on how the men’s national squad fair in their four home Test matches, “It’ll be a wrench when the season starts and Wales play their next match,” he said.

“It’s going to be a little bit different and I don’t know how I’ll approach that. It is going to be a bit strange really, so I’ll have to wait and see on that front.”

Retirement brings new opportunities, however, and Davies is ready to embrace those, “I have my wife and a new cockapoo, so that’s my immediate on the horizon shall we say.

“Then I’m looking forward to a bit of golf and just chilling out getting a feel for things. I want to be as active as I can be really. I think that’s important for your own welfare.”

This summer’s historic win against the Springboks on South African soil for the first time is one of many recollections Davies has from his time with Wales, “The boys showed huge courage in these epic battles last month on three successive weeks, no mean feat against the Springboks.

“I have the kind of precious memories which no amount of money can buy, like the 1999 win over England at Wembley and the Grand Slam campaign of 2005.”

Wales Gethin Jenkins has his strapping put on by physio Mark Davies in 2008

And while there are too many memories to single out one at the top, Davies is clear about what made the job so special, “I think the best thing about the job is the people you meet and the friends that you make really at the end of the day.

“The games are great highlights and they’re pinnacles to remember things from, but I think you make lasting friends in the game. For me obviously it’s been a lifelong experience, meeting up with friends and having very good memories to savour so that’s I think the thing that really stands out.

“I’ve been very fortunate to work with some great coaching and management teams and our own staff as well which is almost like a bit of a family. So it’s very poignant and very difficult to leave that environment in many respects.”

Davies’ final campaign for Wales was the recent three-Test series in South Africa and he received a fitting send off from the squad and backroom colleagues, “Yeah the boys and the management to be fair they made it very special for me.

“It was very nice in terms of a send-off and very humbling listening to people saying kind words about you. I’m self-deprecating in that sense, so all those things you know I take a lot of them very personally and really appreciate those comments.”

Wales head coach Wayne Pivac is one of 15 that Davies has worked with in his time in the national squad set up. Pivac believes Davies’ longevity is down to expertise and the person that he is.

Mark Davies during the South Africa v Wales – Castle Lager Series in the summer

“The fact that Carc has been here as long as he has indicates that he has done a really good job. Someone that can go through the different eras and still be at the forefront of his game speaks volumes,” said Pivac.

“In the time I have been here, not only is he very good clinically but he’s also a really good bloke to have in and around the environment.

“He’s got a great sense of humour and no job is too big for him. He’d do anything he can to help the team, he’ll always put the team first.

“The players love him, the management love him and I think they broke the mould once Carc came into the position. In the area of his expertise he is a legend. Certainly a legend in Welsh rugby.

Pivac is one of many that will be very sad to see Davies retire, “I’d like to wish Carc all the best for his retirement and thank him for his time with us. I’ve enjoyed every single minute of it – the working side of it but he’s also a fantastic guy to have a beer with or a wine.

“He will be sorely missed by this group, but hopefully we’ll be catching up away from work on a regular basis and he’s welcome to come back in at any time.”

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Aiden McNulty’s 15-player squad departed Dublin on Sunday and will spend the next seven days in the Western Cape, training and playing against USA and France, in preparation for Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town from 9-11 September.

Coming off the back of a superb HSBC World Sevens Series, which included two podium finishes in Seville and Langford, Ireland secured qualification for Rugby World Cup Sevens through the Rugby Europe Qualification tournament in July.

McNulty’s extended squad have been in pre-season mode at the IRFU High Performance Centre in recent weeks, building towards Cape Town and their training camp in South Africa will be an invaluable opportunity to fine-tune and sharpen themselves ahead of the global tournament.

Training and playing against USA and France will also test the squad and offer them the chance to gain important match minutes building into their Rugby World Cup Sevens Round of 16 opener against Brazil on Friday, 9 September at Cape Town Stadium.

Head Coach McNulty said: “Our preparation for the World Cup has been excellent so far. As a squad, we are aware what we need to do to achieve something special. We are going to need to reach a new level of performance, requiring precision, physical intensity, and an ability to handle the pressure on the biggest stage.

“This week’s camp in Stellenbosch is an opportunity for us to challenge ourselves against world class opposition and best prepare for us what we hope to be our best performance.

“We have got through a good body of work through pre-season after returning from Rugby Europe competition earlier in the summer, and the players have pushed themselves in preparation for the World Cup.

“Selection has been the toughest it has ever been, but still the players have supported and challenged each other to improve and be the very best. We can’t wait to put on the green jersey again and this week is all about putting ourselves in a position to do something special in Cape Town.”

Ireland Women’s Sevens Training Camp Squad:

Kathy Baker (Blackrock College RFC)
Claire Boles (Railway Union RFC)
Megan Burns (Blackrock College RFC)
Vicky Elmes Kinlan (Wicklow RFC)
Stacey Flood (Railway Union RFC)
Katie Heffernan (Railway Union RFC)
Eve Higgins (Railway Union RFC)
Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere RFC)
Erin King (Old Belvedere RFC)
Lucinda Kinghan (Railway Union RFC/DCU RFC)
Emily Lane (Blackrock College RFC)
Kate Farrell McCabe (Suttonians RFC)
Lucy Mulhall (Wicklow RFC) (capt)
Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe (Railway Union RFC)
Beibhinn Parsons (Blackrock College RFC).

Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography

Springbok prop Steven Kitshoff and assistant coach Deon Davids remained confident in the team’s abilities despite suffering back-to-back defeats in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship and said they believe they can turn the corner.

The Boks will have a re-match with Australia at the Allianz Stadium in Sydney on Saturday, where the team has been based since Sunday afternoon, where a victory will be vital to keep alive their Castle Lager Rugby Championship title hopes, and Kitshoff said the team were up for the challenge.

“The back-to-back defeats was a bitter pill to swallow, but I still believe this team has the potential and skill to be world-beaters,” said Kitshoff.

“We have three games left in the competition and we have the opportunity to turn things around.

“We are settled in Sydney. We had our first training session of the week today (on Monday) and it went well, and since we’ve been in Australia for more than a week now, everyone is acclimatised to the time zone.”

Davids was equally confident that the team was still on course despite the recent setbacks in their campaign and said: “We are definitely still on the right track.

“We are blessed with a balanced squad with a good mix of youth and experience, and with a few experienced players out with injuries, we have been able to give a few young players a chance in the last few matches, and we believe they will gain a lot from that going forward.”

Both Davids and Kitshoff attributed the team’s 25-17 defeat against the Wallabies in Adelaide to missed opportunities, with the coach saying it would be one of their key focus areas this week.

“We did a thorough review of last week’s game and in the end, it came down to Australia creating opportunities, which they used, while we also created a lot of opportunities, but we didn’t capitalise on them, and that’s our main focus this week,” said Davids.

Kitshoff agreed and said: “From a player’s perspective we were extremely disappointed after the match, and we still are with the result. But after a review of the match, we saw how many opportunities we created, which we didn’t score points from and that gave us more confidence.

“It doesn’t change the result, but it has made us more positive.

“The guys had a great attitude at training today and we are up another big Test this weekend.”

With Argentina and Australia leading the Castle Lager Rugby Championship log with nine points after winning two of their first three matches, and New Zealand on five log points and the Springboks on four after winning one of their matches respectively, Davids said it showed the quality of the teams in the competition.

“The fact that the competition is so competitive shows how challenging this tournament is,” said Davids.

“With the teams playing so well it also means you have to be the best every Saturday to get the result. One can also see the growth of the teams in the competition, and this is great preparation for us a year out before the Rugby World Cup.”

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