Farrell insists Jeremy Loughman received proper care and treatment

RETURN TO FIELD: Ireland's Jeremy Loughman with Tyler Lomax of the Maori All Blacks. ©INPHO/Billy Stickland

Andy Farrell has insisted Ireland medical staff and team management have looked after Jeremy Loughman’s best interests following his Head Injury Assessment during Ireland’s game against the Maori All Blacks.

Munster prop Loughman was removed by Irish team medics from the field of play at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton on Wednesday less than two minutes into the match after receiving a blow to the head in contact and appearing to struggle to regain his footing.

He was led off the pitch by team doctor Ciarán Cosgrave and then assessed by the independent match doctor who cleared him to return to the game 10 minutes later. There seemed to be no other intervention until half-time when the Irish staff decided to withdraw Loughman on a permanent basis from the match, which head coach Farrell said after the game was done as a precaution. The 26-year-old has now begun his mandatory return to play protocols and was ruled out of contention for selection for Saturday’s opening Test match against New Zealand.

Yet the decision to allow Loughman to return was criticised by player welfare campaign group Progressive Rugby, a body that numbers former Wales player Alix Popham, who has been diagnosed with early-onset dementia and is one of a group of former players to have taken a class-action lawsuit action against World Rugby and the national governing bodies in England and Wales on the basis their conditions were linked to head injuries sustained playing the sport.

Progressive Rugby believe Loughman should have been removed permanently in the second minute because he had shown obvious signs of concussion and met World Rugby’s Criteria 1 which does not require an HIA.

Calling Loughman’s return to the game “shameful” in a tweet, Professional Rugby told RTÉ said the incident was “deeply alarming” just days after World Rugby's announcement of a 'gold standard' concussion protocol from July 1.

"Even under the current protocol, the safety of Ireland prop Jeremy Loughman demanded his immediate and permanent removal, but the process failed."

Asked on Thursday about Loughman’s condition, Ireland head coach Farrell replied: “He's fine. He got cleared by the Independent match-day doctor and we reviewed that at half-time and did the right thing. He's now going through the HIA return-to-play protocols.” 

As to whether the current concussion protocol system was broken, Farrell said: “It's above me really. We try do our best and that's what we did. One hundred per cent. What we and our medical staff did was look after Jeremy to the best of our ability, and that will continue."