Millar called the clubs' stance "absolutely disgraceful and selfish"

Millar attacked a planned Anglo-French boycott of the Heineken Cup, but Davies said the comments were "not becoming of somebody in Syd's position".

"I don't think this is the time to respond to an angry outburst," he said. "It is the time for negotiations.

"This is just a tantrum from one of the grandfathers of the game."

Davies said he felt there would be European competition next year.

"I think it will be a competition with all six Northern Hemisphere countries involved and I think it will have the backing of the IRB," Davies told BBC Five Live.

606: DEBATE Your thoughts on the boycott

England's Premiership clubs joined the French National League (LNR), the umbrella organisation of the top two divisions in France, last Thursday in pulling out of next season's Heineken and European Challenge Cups.

Millar said it was a "disgraceful" decision and one that showed "no respect" to the other European rugby unions.

But Davies rejected Millar's claims that the English and French clubs were being selfish for boycotting the competition.

"We have thought of other people and there comes a point in time where one has to recognise that those other people have agreed with the stance that we took," he said.

"Had we been at loggerheads with the French, Welsh, Italian and Irish unions, I could agree with some of Syd's comments.

"Given that the other unions agreed with the negotiated agreement that we came up with in October, it's rich for anyone to criticise us for holding our own union to account.

"I think we all need to take a deep breath and discuss this behind closed doors."