HIA’s in the limelight again, Saracens suffer injuries, Jonathan Joseph facing Ben Te’o challenge for England place, and Eddie Jones has a back-row dilemma
For the second Friday night in a row, a team has been reduced to 14 players after incurring a head injury, having already emptied their bench. Ten days ago it was Bath then it was Gloucester this time and while the Cherry & Whites claimed a second win of the season, they had to withstand considerable pressure from Worcester to do so. The issue was that Tom Savage suffered a head blow deemed serious enough that he had to be taken off permanently rather than for a head injury assessment and as a result, Ed Slater could not be brought back on. Had Savage gone off for an HIA, however, Slater would have been allowed to return. Todd Blackadder made his feelings clear when it was Sam Underhill who came off at Northampton and the Gloucester captain Willi Heinz did likewise. It is easy to sympathise with both. Gerard Meagher
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