Rassie Erasmus: Leave assessments to club doctors

Munster boss Rassie Erasmus says players’ Head Injury Assessments are best left in the hands of club doctors rather than independent medics.

After a string of controversial HIA decisions, including last weekend concerning Munster’s Conor Murray, the province’s director of rugby believes players would quickly lose faith in their employees if their club’s own medical staff played fast and loose with their health in pursuit of results.

Munster’s procedures in treating Murray, 27, following a collision with Glasgow’s Tim Swinson last Saturday have become the subject of a review by Champions Cup organisers EPCR, despite the scrum-half passing all four of his HIAs under World Rugby guidelines during and since the game. He has also received an all-clear from a neurologist and been cleared to play this weekend against Racing 92.