Doctor’s decision ‘was correct’
The matchday doctor who forced Blues midfielder Tanielu Tele’a to leave the park 15 minutes into their match against the Crusaders last month has nothing to answer for.
Blues coach Leon Macdonald called the decision ‘‘silly’’ after his team’s 29-6 defeat to the Crusaders last month, but New Zealand Rugby general manager of professional rugby and high performance Chris Lendrum said the doctor’s decision was correct.
An upset Macdonald demanded answers after the April 25 match, claiming the doctor ruled out a player who had only been ‘‘winded’’, and repeatedly ignored pleas from their medical team.
‘‘There was plenty of comms from us, just a stubbiness to listen, just an absolute refusal to listen. He didn’t have any hit to the head, and we said that repeatedly from our doctor,’’ Macdonald said.
However, NZR is standing by the matchday doctor, who has more than 20 years’ experience and operates under World Rugby protocols.
‘‘While we understand the Blues’ frustrations, NZR is satisfied the matchday doctor made the correct decision to remove midfielder Tanielu Tele’a from the field during round nine of Super Rugby Aotearoa based on the visual evidence available to them on the day, which in this case included the player lying motionless for approximately nine seconds,’’ Lendrum said in a statement to Stuff.
Independent matchday doctors are employed in a bid to avoid emotionally biased decisions from team doctors, adding another layer of protection. In addition to having the power to scratch players, they can instruct the referee to halt play immediately if they suspect an injured player needs immediate care.
Crusaders flanker Sione Havili
Talitui blasted Tele’a’s torso off the ball, leaving him on the deck well beyond the approximate nine seconds he was initially motionless.
The 22-year-old eventually got back to his feet and briefly played on, before the match day doctor ended his day. Tele’a was visibly frustrated by the decision, and continued to remonstrate once sidelined.
‘‘He [doctor] didn’t even give him a chance to sit an HIA [head injury assessment], even though he didn’t get a hit to the head. To lose a player in the first few minutes, that hurt us, it hurt the game plan we practised all week, and we had to change our game plan on the move,’’ Macdonald said.
However, Lendrum pointed out the matchday doctor followed World Rugby protocol, giving him discretion to bypass the HIA1 pitch side assessment in the interest of player safety.