Sport Headlines | Auckland sports fans will be spoilt for choice and Springboks coach says the All Blacks face a tricky transition | Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Former British and Irish Lions player Anthony Watson said he cheated a head injury assessment to return to the field after Sonny Bill Williams’ red card during the 2017 series in New Zealand.
Williams became the first All Black to be sent off in a test for 50 yearsafter his shoulder connected with the head of Watson, resulting in a red card in the 25th minute of the second test.
Watson left the field for a head injury assessment (HIA), but returned later in the game and played for 72 minutes in the series decider a week after.
However, Watson revealed in a new BBCdocumentary he was able to cheat his way through the HIA by remembering a series of five words, allowing him to pass the recall part of the test.
“I knew the impact was big and as I got in to do the protocol I was starting to feel a bit hazy,” Watson said in the documentary.
“At that stage I knew the protocols, they give you five words to remember so it is ‘elbow-apple-carpet-saddle-bubble’.
All Black Sonny Bill Williams was sent off for this tackle on Anthony Watson in 2017. Photo / Brett Phibbs
“That is what I had.
“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.”
Watson failed an initial attempt to stand from a kneeling position after the collision with Williams, and was replaced by Jack Nowell while off the pitch.
The recall element of HIAs has changed now, with results compared to a baseline set by players at the start of the season. A random sequence is created from a bank of 20 words for each assessment, meaning learning and repeating all 20 would result in a fail.
“That night I had a pretty mental headache,” Watson said.
“But if I could go back to then I wouldn’t do anything different, it was the second Lions test.
“If I report a concussion there, I might rule myself out for next week and then wait four years to potentially do it again.”
The Lions went on to win the match 24-21, marking the All Blacks’ first home defeat in eight years.
The final game at Eden Park ended in a 15-15 draw and the series finished level at 1-1.
