Mike McCarthy dashed into a no-arms tackle against England Saxons last night and succeeded only in rattling his own cage
An IRFU spokesperson confirmed, following the Wolfhounds' deflating 18-9 defeat, that McCarthy, who hobbled off after 38 minutes, had received a concussive blow and would be following return to play protocols this week.
The best the IRFU could do, before further medical checks (and once the bruising goes down), is confirm 'a bang on the ribs' for winger Fergus McFadden. Late Wolfhounds withdrawal, Luke Fitzgerald, we were told, had been vomiting in the early hours of Friday morning, due to a stomach bug, but management expect him to train fully on Monday.
McCarthy's concussion blow, which may yet rule him out of Ireland's Six Nations opener with Italy, comes on the back of a survey released by the Irish Rugby Union Players Association. The IRUPA survey reveals a number of interesting statistics on concussion.
Of the 204 Irish players surveyed, 28% say they have been concussed in the past 12 months. A further 7% are unsure of whether the blow they received was concussive. The figures confirm, then, that one in four players is concussed each year, with that number being possibly high as one in three.
Of the players that have been concussed in recent years, just under one in five players have not properly followed the IRB-manadted return to play protocols.
