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A worrying incident for the former Force prop
Planet Rugby: 28th Apr 2015, 09:43
The battle between Premiership giants Northampton and Saracens was supposed to serve as a great advert for the game but sadly the outstanding effort of both sides was overshadowed by what appeared to be another shocking incident of a serious injury not being managed correctly.
Just a few short weeks after Wales wing George North was allowed to play on after a clear head clash and suspected concussion was missed by medics during the Six Nations clash with England, Saracens prop Kieran Longbottom was given the green light to continue despite suffering a similarly alarming injury.
Longbottom, making his long-awaited return from a long-term foot injury, appeared to pass out under the pressure of a second half scrum.
In front of a 30,000 crowd at stadium:mk and a bumper TV audience, he collapsed as the scrum broke up and his face hammered into the turf. Replays suggested he may have also suffered a mild fit with his body appearing to convulse as he lay on the ground.
His Saracens team-mate Kelly Brown, to his immense credit, immediately registered Longbottom's plight and went to his aid and thankfully he appeared to swiftly recover consciousness.
After suffering such an alarming injury you would have thought that Longbottom would have been withdrawn – but sadly no. After a check by the Saracens medics he was soon packing down again.
You could perhaps understand the naturalised Australian-born prop wanting to remain in the mix having sat out for so long, and also been linked with a possible promotion to the England ranks, but that decision was not his to make.
Quite simply he should have been withdrawn by the medics, his coaches or just dragged off the field by anyone present who saw the incident unfold on a TV screen.
.... Read more: http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,2..._45982,00.html
That is bloody awful news- I really hope he is being looked after now.
Considering how many Super Rugby players have been recently dragged for the concussion test, with quiet a few not returning in the match, it is nothing short of a disgrace IMHO.
80 Minutes, 15 Positions, No Protection, Wanna Ruck?
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Totally agree with you both. Disgraceful and downright disgusting of the medical staff. Do they have too much conflict between their medical ethics and the demands of their employers?
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
Medics appointed by governing bodies need to oversee concussion tests not club doctors.
Medical staff should be appointed by the Players Association.
Exile
Port Macquarie
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!" - Rocky Balboa
Putting on my manager's hat here for a bit. The player has to take some responsibility. I mean obviously they want to stay on the field. But they probably get more information about concussions & see it firsthand; so are more informed about the long term side effects & risks they are flirting with by playing on. If they know that they have copped a smack to the head and are feeling a little sleepy, they should tell the trainers they're probably not ok. Seeing as if it keeps going, they are the ones who will be joining a class action after they retire (IE NFL lawsuit). when they had a duty of care as an employee to report all injuries and adopt best practice in injury management & rehabilitation. Just as their employer has a dury of care to keep them "as safe as reasonably practicable" (to quote the fair work act).
It goes both ways, so the doctor, club & the league can't take all the blame here. The player & to a lesser degree the match day officials need to be held more accountable.
When you're concussed you might not actually realise it. But if you've been unconscious on the field, the doc asks you what day it was & if you remember being knocked out or waking back up. You should sit the rest of the game out. Same goes if you get nauseous or actually throw up.
When you're concussed you're hardly thinking straight!
Ah it's in England.. Where the lower classes are historically worth a few cents less..
And man how we've missed this bloke in the local jersey this year..
That's a pretty distressing story..
cheers auss...
fabricarti diem punc