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Questions are already being asked of so-called “smart” mouthguards after two players left the field believing they didn’t need to undergo an HIA.
Anton Lienert-Brown was left visibly bemused when he was sent from the field with a little over five minutes to go with one point separating the Chiefs and Crusaders in Hamilton.
Earlier in the Super Rugby Pacific season opener, Quinten Strange was sent from the field and left equally confused by the call.
Watch all the action from the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season, kicking off on February 23, with every match ad-free, live and and on demand on Stan Sport
Strange didn’t return to the match after undergoing his HIA.
It was the first time the smart mouthguards have been used in a Super Rugby Pacific match.
“Oh boy, there’s going to be some talk about these HIAs. This is another that’s resulting from these mouth guards,” said Sky Sport commentator Tony Johnson on Stan Sport’s coverage.
“You see the mouth guard, smart mouth guards, I’m not quite sure how smart at the moment.”
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Johnson said the timing of the HIA was particularly egregious with the match delicately poised.
“This is huge because it leaves them without such an important member of their back line,” he said.
“Quinn Strange went off in the first half. He didn’t seem to know what was going on. Anton Leinert-Brown is going, ‘You’re kidding?'”
World Rugby has invested more than $3 million in the development of the mouthguards.
The devices send notifications in-game to pitch-side doctors of high-speed impacts to detect potential concussions.
Former All Black Jeff Wilson said thresholds have been an issue with the mouthguards but noted that players are required to leave once a point has been read.
“It’s certainly not perfect practice, they’ve admitted they’ve got some learning to do,” said Wilson.
“But it’s in the safety (interests) of the players. At the moment, it’s certainly having a critical effect on the Chiefs.”
In the end, Leinert-Brown’s exit didn’t change the result. The Chiefs won a penalty moments later and with it extended their lead to win 34-30.
However, that didn’t stop Scott Barrett from expressing his disappointment in the technology.
“Honestly, I think it’s a step too far, for a player when you’re getting dragged and you’re looking around going ‘what actually happened?’,” said Barrett.
“Obviously, yeah, we want player welfare and that’s paramount, but I think if you’re influencing the game when key players are going off and they don’t know what for I think that can be frustrating for a player. It needs to be a happy medium somewhere within.”
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The Chiefs dominated the first half of the contest. Tries for Kaylum Boshier, Xavier Roe, and Etene Nanai-Seturo gave the home side an early 27-10 lead.
Sevu Reece scored the only try in the first half for the Crusaders before the visitors mounted a massive comeback.
Chay Fihaki broke through just three minutes into the second half before Scott Barrett scored just three minutes later.
Fihaki scored again and that gave the Crusaders the lead for the first time in the match.
However, the killed blow came in the 74th minute when the Crusaders gave away a penalty in front of their goalposts to give the Chiefs three easy points to lead 30-29.
Another penalty came not long after and that cemented the score, 33-29.
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