EAR BASHING
Saracens test run for concussion monitors in easy home victory
SARACENS stepped up their efforts i n the fight against concussion yesterday by wiring their players with ear devices that monitor head collisions.
They are the first Premiership club to use the units, which have the same sensors that detect movements in smartphones.
Owen Farrell had the technology taped behind his right ear during this victory over London Irish and was among a number of players to be included in the tests that have also been carried out in training sessions.
They have already been used in NFL helmets and rugby gumshields, with an experiment in New Zealand recording an impact of 126 G-Force. Impacts in the game are increasing and that is directly linked to the occurrence of concussion.
Saracens No 8 Billy Vunipola was back to his best yesterday, with coach Mark McCall praising the way he has responded since being dropped by England at the end of the autumn internationals.
‘It’s a huge setback to be starting No 8 in the Six Nations and then not even go into camp for the last couple of weeks,’ said McCall. ‘It’s a hell of a blow for a young fella and you have to judge him by how he has reacted and how he has responded.
‘He has been close to being man of the match five games in a row now. He was really good out there and it’s good for us and good for everyone.’ The Exiles are one of just two sides to win a Premiership match at Allianz Park but there was no repeat of their stunning victory here last February.
In fact it was Farrell who kicked his side ahead with two penalties inside the opening half an hour, before Saracens began to assert their dominance in the scrum.
Hooker Jamie George was particularly impressive in the front row, with the 24-year-old doing no harm to his chances of a Six Nations call up.
Vunipola sucked in defenders with a pick and carry from the base, before the ball went through the hands for winger David Strettle to dive over and put his side 11-0 up at the break.
But Exiles full-back Tom Homer found his range with two penalties early in the second half, yet Farrell quickly responded with two more kicks of his own and the hosts put the result beyond doubt with their second try just after the hour mark. Neil de Kock and Chris Wyles combined with some neat interplay, which sparked a move that was again finished by Strettle.
‘It was difficult in the first half,’ said McCall. ‘It was wet and we were playing into a fairly strong wind and I thought we did a pretty good job in the first half. With 20 minutes to go, we got ourselves into a pretty strong position where we should try to kick on and probably get a few more tries but we didn’t manage that.
‘We lacked a bit of composure in their 22. We were down there often enough but we weren’t good enough to get another few tries. That has been an issue for us.’
London Irish boss Brian Smith shared McCall’s view of Vunipola, however, after watching him punch holes in his side’s defence.
‘Billy Vunipola is absolutely world class and he’s a handful,’ said Smith. ‘I thought we made a fair effort to contain him today but he’s very, very dynamic. He’s a monster. He got in behind us a couple of times and caused us a lot of trouble.’