Warren Gatland is probably right to be worried
The Welsh coach has confessed to his concern that one of the most electrifying talents in world rugby, George North, faces the possibility of having his career cut short by concussions.
The powerhouse winger has been out of action since being knocked unconscious in a game for Northampton at the end of March, his third head injury in just four months, but is targeting a return to club action before the end of the season as Saints chase Premiership glory.
“I am hugely worried,” Gatland told the Telegraph. “I had a meeting with his agent during the week and I said ‘Look if I was being purely selfish I would say: ‘George don’t play in the last few games, get yourself right for the World Cup’, because if he gets another knock he is going to have to be out for six months or a year or something like that.
“So that is a concern. If he is feeling confident about getting back and wanting to get on the park and play some rugby, then that’s a decision he is going to make. He’s been out for a considerable amount of time but it’s one of those situations where he’s such a young player if he picks up two or three more of those in the next year, that’s going to finish his career, isn’t it?”
It might be fair to point out that if Gatland was so concerned for North’s wellbeing, why did he and his medical team allow him to return to action after being knocked out against England in the Six Nations?
But the New Zealander has defended the handling of that incident and rejected criticism of the care provided to North.
“I was very upset with the criticism,” he said. “If we had seen that we would definitely have taken him off. There was definitely no negligence on our part. I am very conscious of player welfare and putting players first.”
