Finally, the Welsh staff did as it pleased. Coach Wayne Pivac revealed this Wednesday afternoon his starting XV to challenge France on Friday in Cardiff as part of the 6 Nations Tournament, and Tomas Francis is one of them. Many voices had however been raised to ask the management of the defending champion to put the right pillar to rest, eleven days after the enormous shock suffered. in the defeat to England (23-19).
In the 20th minute of this match at Twickenham, Francis’ head had hit that of his teammate Owen Watkin, during an offensive by the XV of the Rose on the Welsh line. Stretched full length for a few seconds, the 29-year-old got up in two stages, stumbling in the process, then he leaned against a pole, like a boxer in the ropes. Released to pass a concussion protocol, the front of the province of the Ospreys then returned to the lawn, before being replaced for good in the 55th minute.
“The cases of Francis and [Josh] adams [ailier également victime d’un choc à la tête face aux Anglais] were managed by Wales medical staff following all required return to play protocols as specified in World Rugby regulations, the Welsh Federation (WRU) said in a statement on Wednesday. Since they had no adverse reactions or complications when successfully completing each stage of return to play, they are both available. »
Another player absent with concussion
On the other hand, the excellent center Nick Tompkins was not retained, because of a concussion with his English club Saracens against Leicester, last weekend.
Thursday afternoon, prior to the press conference and even before a volley of questions from journalists on the Francis case, Wayne Pivac wanted to justify this decision. Which eclipsed the four changes in the starting XV compared to the defeat at Twickenham, including the return of flanker Josh Navidi, injured since last October. The New Zealand technician insisted on the “quality of his medical staff” and the competence of the “independent experts” who decided the Francis case.
“The welfare of the players is at the forefront of these decisions. This is why we are turning to the experts to obtain all the information possible, ”also asserted Pivac.
The previous Biggar
In turn bombarded with questions, Captain Dan Biggar also took refuge behind the famous “experts”. “If he had not been declared fit to play, Thomas Francis would not play,” said the Leek strategist, a bit embarrassed. “I trust the process,” he proclaimed. Two years ago, before (already) the reception of France during the Six Nations Tournament (23-27), the opener-scorer had been established when he had suffered three concussions during the previous five months…
As of Monday, John Fairclough, former doctor of the WRU, had asked the Welsh staff to give up aligning Tomas Francis. “From my expert point of view, there is no doubt that Tomas suffered brain damage” he had launched on Progressive Rugby website, an association defending the health of players. “I think to play him the next game would be to put him at an unconsidered risk of an even more serious injury, either now or in the future. »
On Wednesday, after the announcement of the Welsh roster, Progressive Rugby took to Twitter, lamenting a “lack of understanding around brain damage” and “a situation where a team’s short-term gain can result in the long-term suffering of an individual”. The Francis case will contribute to fueling an increasingly lively debate in recent years.
In December 2020, a group of former professionals, including the Englishman Steve Thompson and the Welshman Alix Popham, had embarked on a legal process to claim compensation from World Rugby and the English and Welsh federations after diagnoses of neurological disorders. . A hundred players joined this initiative.