Risking Tomas Francis against France would be grave mistake
This article is written by Progressive Rugby
A former WRU team doctor has aired grave concerns for prop Tomas Francis following a systematic failure of the HIA system during Wales clash with England.
Professor John Fairclough, who was in the WRU set up for two decades, fears that Francis may be deemed fit for selection for the showdown with France in Cardiff on Friday.
His comments come just days after he told The Rugby Paper that Francis had suffered one of the most obvious cases of concussion he had seen, and said the fact that Francis returned to the field, at the very least, called into question whether the HIA protocol is fit for purpose.
A proud and passionate Wales fan, Prof Fairclough knows that the Exeter Chief is critical to the effectiveness of the Welsh front row against an unbeaten and rampant French side.
“Like any Welsh fan I want to see Tomas Francis in the Welsh team, because he’s a terrific player and would be key against a very good French side,” Prof Fairclough, who in 2011 was named by the Times as one of the UK’s best surgeons, said.
“But I have carefully reviewed the footage numerous times, and in my expert view, it is beyond any doubt that Tomas had suffered a brain injury.
“As someone who has taken an oath to protect life, I can’t, in all good conscience, fail to highlight that I think him playing the next game puts him at unnecessary risk of serious harm, whether that be now or in the future.
“The HIA protocols undertaken during the England game were shown to be not fit for purpose. They were unable to recognise the fact that he had clearly sustained criteria 1 signs of on field concussion.
“The serious features displayed by Francis should outweigh the results of any subsequent assessment indicating that he is sufficiently recovered in time to return for the French game. Wales may claim that he has been ‘passed fit’. For me that would be a grave mistake.”
Both he and Professor Bill Ribbans, two leading lights of player welfare lobby group Progressive Rugby, wrote an open letter to World Rugby, the WRU and Six Nations Rugby last week outlining their concerns that the HIA process was failing.
The letter outlined that in their firm view Francis, under World Rugby’s own HIA protocol, should have been immediately and permanently removed from the pitch and that by failure to do so demonstrated a ‘clear and flagrant breach’ of the laws in place to protect elite players.
“Until satisfactory explanations are provided, we remain unable to accept World Rugby’s assertion that player welfare is the game’s number one priority,” it added.