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Northampton’s George North out until end of April with head injury Northampton’s George North out until end of April with head injury
(about 2 hours later)
George North has been advised not to play again until the end of April after suffering his fourth head injury in the last five months during the Premiership win over Wasps last Friday. George North has been advised to play no more rugby for at least a month following the series of major head knocks he has suffered this season. A neurologist will reassess the Welsh international wing at the end of April before determining if he needs an additional period of rest or can return for the final games of Northampton’s domestic season.
The Wales wing saw a neurologist on Wednesday, who has recommended that he takes a break from all rugby until the before being reassessed at the end of the month. It remains a possibility that North will not participate in any competitive rugby before Wales start their pre-World Cup friendly programme in August, leaving Northampton potentially without him until November. He will realistically be unavailable for selection should the Saints make the European Champions’ Cup final at Twickenham on 2 May.
“North will continue to be monitored by the Saints’ medical team in the intervening period,” read a statement on Northampton’s website. While the 22-year-old will be permitted to do some gym work over the next four weeks he will not be doing any on-field training, let alone any contact sessions. After four serious blows to the head in five months, the clear priority has to be his long-term health, as Northampton’s director of rugby Jim Mallinder emphasised. “We have listened to the advice we sought and George will be taking some time away from the field,” said Mallinder. “Throughout this process it is important George’s welfare comes first and that he is treated patiently and calmly, only returning to action when all of the medical team are happy for him to do so.”.
“He will not participate in on-field training, but will continue to contribute in other areas and maintain his work with the club’s performance department. North was already resigned to missing this weekend’s European quarter-final against Clermont Auvergne after being knocked out in a collision with Wasps’ Nathan Hughes at Franklin’s Gardens last Friday. He was previously forced to sit out Wales’ 12-6 win over South Africa in the autumn after being concussed against New Zealand and was struck twice on the head while playing against England during the Six Nations championship.
Northampton’s director of rugby Jim Mallinder added: “We have listened to the advice we sought and George will be taking some time away from the field. The Wasps’ No8 Hughes was red-carded and subsequently banned for three weeks after his knee and shin made contact with North a split-second after the winger had touched down his second try of the evening. His coaches and team-mates continue to believe Hughes has been harshly treated and the club has formally lodged an appeal, stressing “it was an accident and no foul play occurred.” In their statement, Wasps indicated they “were not in a position to comment further until the result of the appeal hearing has been received.”
“Throughout this process it is important that George’s welfare comes first and that he is treated patiently and calmly, only returning to action when all of the medical team are happy for him to do so.” World Rugby regulations, however, ensure that Hughes cannot play again before his appeal is heard, meaning he will miss Wasps’ quarter-final in Toulon on Easter Sunday. If he ends up being cleared it will merely add further to the sense that rugby’s judicial processes need a spring-clean.
Meanwhile, Wasps will appeal against the three-week ban issued to Nathan Hughes, but their protest will not enable the back row to play in Sunday’s Champions Cup quarter-final against Toulon. Concussion awareness, however, remains the game’s most pressing priority. It has emerged that the Cardiff Blues fly-half Rhys Patchell has been suffering from severe memory loss since being knocked out by a forearm smash from Ulster’s Nick Williams. According to WalesOnline, Patchell has no memory of his trip to Belfast, from Thursday’s flight to Ireland until his return to Wales. “We are unclear when he will be fit to resume,” said Blues chief executive Richard Holland. “With concussion there’s no definitive time-scale for a full recovery. It could be days, weeks, months or worse.” The Wallaby scrum-half Will Genia, meanwhile, is joining Stade Francais on a three-year deal after the World Cup.
The club have said in a statement they will appeal on the grounds the incident that left North unconscious and resulted in a red card for Hughes was an accident and no foul play had occurred.
With the hearing scheduled to be heard next Friday, it means Hughes can not be reprieved in time to face the reigning European champions in Toulon this weekend.
Hughes was given the suspension - to include three meaningful fixtures - after being found guilty of striking North in the 52-30 Aviva Premiership defeat at Franklin’s Gardens on 27 March.
Commenting on the judgement made on Tuesday night, disciplinary officer Sir James Dingemans said: “This was a three week ban on the basis that no intention was found.
“However, there was recklessness meaning that, notwithstanding the harm, it was a low entry point of four weeks with mitigation of one week to reflect his previous clean playing record.”