Following his own brush with concussion protocols earlier in this year's Six Nations, England ace Jack Nowell has urged that decisions over head injuries must be taken out of players' hands.
It comes after a recent spike in incidents during the opening weeks of the 2022 tournament, with Nowell having been forced out of England's second-round win over Italy after just 17 minutes.
However, the Exeter Chiefs winger was only taken off a few minutes after his injury, with referee Damon Murphy having initially allowed him to play on after allegedly rushing England's medics to make a decision over whether he needed an HIA.
Nowell, 28, later failed a head injury assessment (HIA) and was permanently replaced by Elliot Daly, which saw Australian Murphy draw criticism from fans for his handling of the situation.
The debate was raised again a fortnight later when England faced Wales, and Nowell's former Exeter team-mate, Tomas Francis, was permitted to play on despite what appeared to be a significant head injury.
Both tighthead prop Francis and centre team-mate Owen Watkin re-entered the game after each passing HIAs, even though replays later showed Francis struggling to stand up following their clash of heads.
"The reason I was so angry against Italy was probably because I was not allowed back on. I completely understand safety and how much we are looked after on the field is the best thing for us," said Nowell, as quoted by the Daily Mail .
"Personally, I am very grateful for that, but it is hard.
"Any rugby player is going to be like 'I’m fine, I think I am okay to carry on,' but something like Franny’s [Francis] incident probably didn’t look too good on camera.
"You probably can’t shy away from that, especially when you are on video, rewinding it and watching it in slow motion and real time."
The incidents have led to calls for greater independence when it comes to how players are assessed and whether they're genuinely fit to play on.
Said subject was also recently brought to light when England faced their Italian counterparts in the Under-20 Six Nations.
England trailed 6-0 when winger Deago Bailey jumped to catch a high ball and hit his head on the ground, the type of incident that would usually demand a HIA to ascertain if the player should continue.
The team's own medic drew criticism following his insistence the player was fine to play on despite not undergoing a HIA, while referee Aurelie Groizeleau was praised for ordering the player off.
That incident has highlighted the value of relevant technologies like the Protecht mouthguard, which measures the severity and impact of head blows through sensors.
Premiership clubs Harlequins and Gloucester already use the technology, though there are no Test teams currently signed up for such services.
"We are always learning about different things in rugby now and I am pretty sure it will be brought in pretty soon," Nowell said when asked about the technology being introduced at the international level.
"I could probably be knocked clean out and feel that I am recovered in a few seconds. It is important to take that decision out of our hands."
In a heavy contact sport like rugby, players such as Nowell will more often than not be inclined to put their own safety on the line, especially when representing one's country.
However, new information is constantly becoming available in regards to the long-term effects of repeated head injuries common in rugby, and new technology could help mitigate those risks.
Former England hooker and 2003 Rugby World Cup -winner Steve Thompson announced in 2020 that he'd been diagnosed with early-onset dementia at the age of 42.
He's part of a lawsuit suing some of rugby's major unions and lawmakers for negligence in regards to the risk of repeated head injuries, with an increasing amount of ex-professionals suffering from long-term conditions.
Correcting form on how rugby tackles head injuries at the moment they occur could prove crucial to preventing such damage in future, with Nowell in support of players being afforded less control over such matters.
