Wales' George North should not have remained on the field of play after his head injury during Friday night's Six Nations curtain-raiser, according to World Rugby.
The sport's governing body has released a statement condemning the decision not to replace North, but which accepts the Wales union's reasoning for keeping the Northampton Saints winger in the game.
There was widespread condemnation - on social media during the clash and in the post-match analysis - of Wales' decision not to replace their winger, but a World Rugby statement this morning read: “Following a full post-incident review, World Rugby believes that Wales player George North should not have remained on the field of play following a head impact in the 61st minute of the Wales versus England RBS 6 Nations match at the Millennium Stadium on Friday night.
“The World Rugby head injury protocol clearly states that a player should be immediately and permanently removed from the field of play where there are any visible symptoms or suspicion of a potential concussion.
â–ºWales wing George North's mid-match concussion assessment 'tokenism' says Dr Barry O'Driscoll http://t.co/J7x0ccbZne pic.twitter.com/KgRd7LVAhJ
— BBC ScrumV (@BBCScrumV) February 8, 2015
“However, following thorough discussions and input from the expert independent Concussion Advisory Group, World Rugby accepts the WRU’s explanation that neither the team medical staff nor the independent doctor had sight of the incident and understands that the medics acted within the framework of information they had at the time and would have taken a different course of action had they had direct pitch-side visibility or access to the same broadcast footage seen by those watching on television."
The statement continued: “The impact was the second sustained by the player in the match, following a first half temporary removal for a head injury assessment.
“Having reviewed the incident report, World Rugby can confirm that the WRU followed correct protocols when assessing North following this first incident.
“The WRU has outlined that the player continues to undergo close medical supervision and is undertaking supervised graduated return to play protocols.”
World Rugby has issued a statement on Friday's Wales v England RBS 6 Nations match in Cardiff http://t.co/je01DxiWvn #RecogniseAndRemove
— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) February 10, 2015
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