Anthony Watson admits cheating head injury assessment in 2017 Lions Test
Former British and Irish Lions wing Anthony Watson has admitted to memorising answers to circumvent head injury protocols during the 2017 series against New Zealand.
Watson revealed he cheated the assessment to return to the field following a high tackle by Sonny Bill Williams in the second Test.
The incident occurred in the 25th minute when the All Blacks centre drove a shoulder into Watson’s head.
Williams was shown a red card for the challenge, while the England winger was removed for a Head Injury Assessment (HIA).
Memorised answers circumvented safety checks
The 32-year-old confessed to committing a specific sequence of words to memory to pass the recall section of the concussion protocols used at the time.
“I knew the impact was big and as I got in to do the protocol I was starting to feel a bit hazy,” Watson told the BBC documentary Ben Youngs Investigates: How Safe Is Rugby?
“I just want to caveat this by saying that I love the medical staff there at the Lions and they had no idea I was doing this.”
Watson explained that he had learned the standard list of five words provided during testing in that era.
“At that stage I knew the protocols – they give you five words to remember so it is ‘elbow-apple-carpet-saddle-bubble’. That is what I had,” he said.
“I managed to get through the walking tests and all of that and then when it came to the words, I knew it off by heart so I knew I was going to get straight back on.”
Return to action and protocol changes
Watson had appeared unsteady immediately following the collision and failed an initial attempt to stand from a kneeling position.
Jack Nowell temporarily replaced his compatriot while the assessment took place.
However, Watson returned to the pitch just six minutes later and played the remainder of the Lions’ historic 24-21 victory in Wellington.
The former Bath and Leicester back also featured for 72 minutes of the series decider at Eden Park the following week.
The recall element of the HIA process has been significantly updated since the 2017 tour.
Medical staff no longer use a set list of words, instead generating a random sequence from a bank of 20 words to prevent players from pre-learning answers.
Retirement and reflection
Stricter protocols now penalise players for incorrect answers, while independent doctors review video data and smart mouthguard technology to verify collisions.
Watson is not the only player to admit to attempting to bypass these safety measures.
Fellow England wing Jonny May admitted in 2019 that he tried and failed to pass a similar test by repeating words following a head knock against Wales.
Watson, who retired from professional rugby in January 2025 due to a persistent back injury, maintains he has no regrets about prioritising the match over his immediate health.
