People I've spoken to who've played American Football admit that the padding and helmets are used more like offensive weapons than protective gear. It encourages them to impact far harder than they would without. While the helmet may prevent their skull from cracking it doesn't stop the brain rattling around inside the skull, and that's what causes concussion.

As for the program being BBC sour grapes, there might be a bit of that in it. On the other hand this story has been kicking around some of the more serious media for a couple of years now, slowly growing in volume. What really surprises me is that the RFU appear to be in denial, Bill Beaumont clearly hasn't realised that the physique of RU players today bear no relation to when he was playing. It's even more surprising considering areas of risk that are unique to RU, such as the risk of neck trauma from scrum collapses, or of falling from height when being lifted in the line out.

The only thing Rugby League can learn from this is to remain vigilant and not go into denial.

I played 7 seasons of it, and can say that's definitely true. I got 2 concussions in that time frame, both in training sessions & caused by members of my own team, both of them came from Helmet to Helmet contact, over a distance of less than 5 yards. Awareness from coaches is becoming better at least, with tackling techniques being altered to reduce the risk and gum shields are compulsory in Britain, your team can be penalised if a player doesn't have one in.

Classic risk compensation in action, the problem with helmets especially that they cause rotational brain injuries, the injury that is more likely to turn you into a vegetative state than a simple fractured skull.

Are you suggesting that he was assisted on Question of sport then? he was on that for aaages, so i recall.

Watching the Wales game now and I may suffer concussions after banging my head against the wall, that's compounded by listening to that pr1ck Inverdale first....

it's really poor, got in after a bike ride thought i'd see if it was going to be any good...wales blow two tries, one because their top winger hasn't got a clue how to get past his man and then two fatties getting in the way or wayward pass/not being able to draw the man and then kick, kick, kick, kick...more kicks..Wales get a break on the back of the SA FB bottling it.
Inverdale could take a bullet he's such a tw at. no doubt he'll be back at the bbeb for the autumn internationals

Not just Inverdale, the whole of the ITV coverage has been poor.

It could have been worse, they could have poached Jonathan Davies from the BBC.

Dunno who the commentary team were on R5 for the Scotland game but they left me thinking that Eddie and Stevo weren't actually all that bad

What's wrong with Jiffy? At least he understands the game, and is quite prepared to mention Rugby League when it's relevant. Unlike that arch League hater Inverdale.

Good shout, he was. One of the others appears on A Question of Sport though I forget his name. The level of bile they directed towards the ref, who'd failed to consult the VR over a crucial decision, was unreal. After about ten mins someone in the studio pointed out that he could only have done so had foul play been involved. Which apparently it wasn't. They then spent another age moaning because the ref left the pitch too quickly. Very sore losers, their lack of grace and dignity was worse than I think I've heard in any commentary on any sport.

He is ab-so-lute-ly dread-ful.

Was it that idiot Dawson?

It was all over 5 Live Breakfast this morning - and carried over to Your Call; with everyone wailing and gnashing their teeth over the failure of Northern Hemisphere teams to beat Southern Hemisphere teams; some interesting theories about weather, head injuries and youth development, with no real admission that Southern Hemisphere teams appear to have decided to pass and run more, and score tries.

There was a big focus on the ref failing to consult the VR over the penalty for Australia - until an ex ref came on and pointed out that he wasn't allowed to consult in those circumstances. Then Hastings changed his tack to say it's not the decision he's annoyed about, but the fact that the ref left the field without shaking the players hands - which is against, apparently, Rugby's code of honour.

I texted in to say that the blame for both situations could be laid squarely at Sam Burgess' door - but they didn't read it out.