• 6 years ago
HIA Incident 2018 Six Nations France vs Ireland

France face investigation into allegations of abusing rugby's head injury rule

Dupont went down clutching his right knee in the 76th minute, leading referee Nigel Owens to stop the game. Owens initially tapped his head as if suspecting a head injury, which heralded a confusing passage of play in which the French medics attending the player appeared to confirm the injury was to Dupont’s leg, only for the fourth official to confirm the diagnosis of the independent match doctor - who never entered the field of play - that Dupont was going off for an HIA.

Owens himself appeared dubious by this point, checking repeatedly that it was for HIA. But he was never going to overrule the independent doctor.

The upshot was that France sent Maxime Machenaud, a renowned kicker, back into the fray, a move which also ensured they did not have to play the remainder of the match without a specialist scrum-half.

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