Use your head when it comes to concussion
Edinburgh star Scott says players must not try to hide injuries
SCOTLAND and Edinburgh centre Matt Scott has issued a timely warning to players not to conceal the symptoms of concussion following head knocks.
Scott is concerned that some players might be tempted to hide their injuries because they are worried about a World Cup place or are nearing the end of a contract with their clubs.
The Edinburgh University law graduate, who was sidelined for five months this season with the condition, says he is aware there are players who have risked long-term brain damage by not informing medics and coaches they were suffering from headaches.
As soon as players submit to a head-injury assessment (HIA) on the pitch, they have to pass return-to-play protocols that can take up to seven days.
But those who pick up a head knock that goes unnoticed can slip through the net.
‘I’ve seen it in the professional game, guys are saying they have a headache but they just don’t tell them (the medics and coaches),’ said the 28-year-old former Gloucester player.
‘There are guys who wouldn’t care, they just want to play rugby. Rugby is their life and that’s everything.
‘I think I’m quite good at looking at the bigger picture. If it got to the stage where it was a real risk to my health then I would probably stop. If you play rugby, you are putting yourself in that vulnerable position.
‘In saying that, it’s easy to say I would never play with a headache. But you’ve got guys who are perhaps coming to the last two or three months of their contracts, they don’t have a club for next year and they’re thinking: “I’ve got a bit of a headache but I’m not going to declare that. I need to play for a club because no one will pick me up if I’ve not played with the concussion”.
‘In an ideal world, you wouldn’t play with a concussion. But coming up to World Cup time, if somebody picks up a head knock before they get on the plane to Japan, do you mention it or do you not? It’s interesting.’
Scott described the after-effects of the head knock he picked up playing for Edinburgh in the Heineken Champions Cup against Toulon last October as ‘horrendous’.
Just before half-time, he was caught by the swinging arm of Romain Taofifenua, the 6ft 7in, 21-stone lock.
‘Basically, I got a forearm to my head,’ said Scott. ‘I wasn’t knocked out but I remember thinking it was quite a big blow to my head. At half-time I felt a bit groggy but I felt fine — and went out and played and finished the game.
‘I came into the Scotland camp on the Sunday night and I thought I was fine, but on the Monday in the gym we were doing some light weights and I felt sick and dizzy.
‘I realised it must have been from that blow to my head. I was thinking then that I would be fine for the next week, for the next game. But next week becomes next month and it dragged on for five months with headaches every day.
‘It is such an intangible injury. It was horrendous. There are no scars and no broken bones. You’re ready when you are symptom-free. It was encouraging in a weird way to hear that a lot of guys like Dave Denton were going through the same thing. I’m close with Dave and it was good to know I wasn’t the only one experiencing this.
‘I thought: “This is really unusual, I’m taking so long to come back”. But you find that a lot now, with the level of awareness and medical support, guys are not returning to play as quickly as they used to. They are big on you being honest with them, saying you have still got a headache.
‘For someone like Dave (Denton), who is on his third or fourth bad one and has just had a kid, you do start to have those conversations with yourself.
‘For me, it was my first real big one and I feel sort of fine now.’
Scott, who made his comeback against Leinster only three weeks ago, praised Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill for not putting any pressure on him to return early.
He feels that may not have been the case if he played in France.
‘If you’re thinking about moving to France, you do have to think,’ added Scott. ‘If I was in that situation in a French club, I reckon they would be saying: “Play or we don’t pay you”.
‘I don’t think I would have been given the same treatment as I have been here. That’s maybe a bit of a generalisation, but Cockers never once asked me when I would be back. It was always just: “Come back when you’re ready”. That was really good.’
The 39-times-capped centre is hoping to catch the eye of Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend when he plays against Ulster in the Pro14 at Murrayfield tomorrow night.
Townsend has given him time to recover but hasn’t spoken with Scott during his recovery.
‘I haven’t spoken to Gregor at all,’ he said. ‘I’ve not spoken to any of them. I bumped into him around New Year. He gave us a presentation about the World Cup pre-season schedule if we were selected.
‘I think with concussion our doctors encourage the coaches, even all the boys, not to keep asking us: “How’s your head, how’s your head? When you back?” and so perhaps it’s a bit of that, I’m not sure.
‘I’d love to get in the wider World Cup squad. When I was in the middle of my concussion I wasn’t really sure when I was going to be back but I’ve come back with hopefully enough time to prove myself.’