Former All Blacks fly-half Stephen Donald has suggested that the Springboks may have taken advantage of HIA (Head Injury Assessment) protocols during their bruising 24-17 defeat to New Zealand at Eden Park.
The match was littered with injury interruptions, beginning early when Emoni Narawa was forced off after just seven minutes, followed by Codie Taylor’s head knock that left Samisoni Taukei’aho to play the rest of the game at hooker. In the second half, Wallace Sititi and Jordie Barrett both underwent HIAs before returning to action.
For South Africa, Handré Pollard, who had left the field just before the hour mark, was surprisingly able to return when Damian de Allende was withdrawn, raising eyebrows about the legitimacy of the process.
Speaking on The Aftermatch with Kirst and Beav, host Kirstie Stanway-Thorne questioned the sheer number of HIAs in the second period: “It seemed like every five minutes another player was being taken off. Whether some of those were legitimate or just triggered by the new mouthguard technology, there were constant changes.”
Donald echoed the concern, likening the flow of players to “a train station.” He added: “It was interesting who was coming and going in that second half. There certainly was a lot of movement.”
The comments come as debate grows around the use — and possible misuse — of HIA laws in high-stakes Test matches, especially when substitutions can swing momentum late in the game.
