Anyone with a passing or vested interest in rugby would have been worried by what they witnessed in Glasgow at the weekend.
Conor Murray was subjected to some rough treatment by the Glasgow Warriors players during Munster’s 14-12 victory in Scotstoun.
The scrum-half would accept that some of the hits he took were part and parcel of the game but there was a fair share of niggle he was not impressed with. Murray’s collision with Warriors’ Tim Swinson seemed somewhat innocuous at first but there was a raised forearm that connected just below Murray’s chin.
Murray looked sparked pic.twitter.com/gHrEZaskLZ
— Pat McCarry (@patmccarry) January 14, 2017
There are disputes about whether Murray was temporarily knocked out cold or was momentarily stunned. Either way, he played on for four minutes until the Munster medical staff reviewed the incident footage and decided to get him off as soon as there was a break in play.
Murray passed the in-game Head Injury Assessment and another afterwards but there is a reasonable argument that he should not have been allowed back onto the pitch. Munster’s actions are under review but, speaking in Limerick today, Murray feels the province did everything right. He told Today FM:
“If I feel I have a concussion, I would not play at the weekend. I think it is too dangerous.
“We are quite well educated on concussion – the way we approach it and the way higher powers are improving ways to deal with it is brilliant. It’s relative; the HIA only came in in 2012 I think. we’re always trying to improve it.
“If I felt I had a concussion or I felt off in any way, I wouldn’t play.”
.@Munsterrugby @ConorMurray_9 says he wouldn't play if he thought he had a concussion. pic.twitter.com/AbvQ9KGgdf
— Ross Lindsay (@Ross_A_Lindsay) January 18, 2017
Murray is set for inclusion in Munster’s Champions Cup squad for Saturday’s clash against Racing 92.
