they are hard lads these days but i do agree, if necessary let him take the doctors' orders and have a rest to recover fully. player welfare comes first. this should also give us a bit of a better idea of how decent our squad depth is. flower and preccy arent neccessarily massive key players but they are players in key areas and hopefully the squad will be more than up to the task.

as for lauiki, get well soon. as for flanaghan, i bet he's got a belter of a shiner now!

I'm getting really soft in my old age. I was terrified when he went down, didn't move, and then the paramedics went on. My eldest was with me saying "It's times like this you appreciated the emergency services". Maybe so but it was times like that I was wishing my kids didn't play rugby.

Skull caps and mouth guards should be mandatory in the junior game and at least three weeks off following any head injury at any level.

There are too many tub thumpers in the amateur/pro game who try and impress that playing with this type of protection is some how soft. The idea isn't to get hurt but to show your talents and win games.

Got to say RU has it right. Anyone with a head injury isn't allowed to play for three weeks, even if they want too.

if he was diagnosed with concussion he wont be playing..isnt there a 10 day rule?..or is that another sport?

ovavoo's right - the decision shouldn't even rest with club doctors (who may well get their arms twisted behind the scenes). Just a mandatory period when you're not allowed to play following a head knock. I watched a documentary a while ago on NFL, and the effects from receiving a second bang to the head if you return before fully recovered are potentially dire.

Anything even remotely resembling a concussion should be at least 2 weeks out. Can never be too concerned when it comes to the old noggin.