Anthony Watson admits he bypassed concussion checks to continue playing for the Lions
Anthony Watson, the former England winger, has disclosed that he circumvented head-injury protocols to stay on the field during the 2017 Lions Test series in New Zealand.
In the second Test in Wellington, Watson collapsed after a shoulder charge from Sonny Bill Williams, who received a red card. A new documentary reveals that Watson told his former England teammate Ben Youngs that he had already memorized the five-word sequence used to test recall during the medical assessment.
“I knew the impact would be significant, and as I entered the protocol I started to feel hazy,” said Watson, who earned 56 England caps. “I want to emphasize that I greatly respect the medical staff of the Lions; they had no idea I was trying to deceive them.
“The protocol is simple: five words to remember. The five words were ‘elbow-apple-carpet-saddle-bubble.’ I managed to pass the walking tests, and when it came to the memory task, I had them memorized, so I knew I could get straight back on.”
Watson sustained the concussion in the 25th minute but returned just six minutes later and finished the Lions’ 24-21 victory.
Since then, concussion protocols have been revised to prevent this kind of manipulation, and Watson added that trying to “fudge” the process is now far more difficult.
The documentary, Ben Youngs Investigates: How Safe Is Rugby?, is available on iPlayer and will air on BBC1 at 10:40 p.m. on Tuesday. The program features Lewis Moody, the 2003 World Cup winner who has been diagnosed with a slowly progressing motor neurone disease. Moody, previously nicknamed “Mad Dog,” shares his willingness to take risks in rugby despite knowing the dangers.
Moody, 47, developed the degenerative muscle-wasting condition after feeling weakness in his shoulder during gym training. A former Leicester Tigers back-row forward, he earned 71 England caps and was celebrated for his work rate and tackling tenacity.
Youngs, England’s most-capped men’s rugby player and Moody’s former club and international teammate, navigates the connections between concussion and brain health in the hour-long program.
“I was very aware of the risks of playing rugby—smashing into another person week after week,” Moody reflected. “Yet I believed the rewards and joy of the sport outweighed those risks, and I would do it again.”
Moody added that he now has a peaceful life, with a family and a sense of normalcy, and he attributes part of his resilience to the meaning he finds in his rugby career.
There is ongoing debate about whether genetics and intensive training increase the risk of motor neurone disease (MND) among athletes. While rugby faces past concussion issues and continuous improvements in head-injury protocols, there is no conclusive evidence linking the sport to MND. Moody is among several high-profile cases, including Joost van der Westhuizen, Doddie Weir, Rob Burrow, and Ed Slater.
“People often assume rugby players are more likely to develop MND, but that assumption isn’t proven,” Moody said. The Motor Neurone Disease Association notes that many patients die within two years of diagnosis, though Moody describes his own progression as relatively slow.
He added a philosophical note, citing a Buddhist saying about living in the present to cope with uncertainty about the future. For Moody, maintaining as normal a life as possible while adapting to new realities remains his approach.
The documentary also visits Steve Thompson, the former England hooker who cannot recall parts of the 2003 World Cup-winning campaign and who was diagnosed with early-onset dementia. Thompson told Youngs he has sometimes experienced suicidal thoughts, illustrating the deep personal toll of head injuries.
Other featured voices include Alix Popham, the former Wales back-row forward, and Kat Merchant, a 2014 England Women World Cup winner. Popham notes that much of the damage in rugby may occur during training and emphasizes that safety must come first to keep the sport sustainable.
Would you join the discussion on whether current safety measures strike the right balance between the love of sport and long-term brain health, or do you think more drastic changes are needed to protect players? Share your thoughts in the comments.
