Anthony Watson: I cheated in the HIA process after Sonny Bill Williams hit Lions game in 2017

Watson appeared unstable following the collision, and failed in his initial attempt to rise from a kneeling position.

Jack Noel replaced Watson as he was assessed for signs of concussion, but six minutes later, Watson returned to the field and proceeded to play the remainder of the Lions’ 24-21 victory.

Watson also played 72 minutes of the series-deciding draw at Eden Park seven days later.

The recall component of head injury assessment has changed since then.

Instead of being asked to remember a set list of five words, with the results compared to a set baseline when intact at the start of the season, a random sequence is generated from a bank of 20 different words for each assessment.

Players are penalized for incorrect answers, meaning that learning and repeating all 20 answers will result in failure.

Watson’s England winger, Jonny May, admitted in 2019 that after suffering a head knock in a match against Wales, he tried and failed to pass the same part of the test by repeating words., external

Players are also tested on their balance and direction, and must pass all evaluation elements to return to play.

Independent doctors also review video replays and data from smart mouthguards to review collisions. In rare cases, they may overturn the evaluation results if they still have concerns about a player’s performance in them or there was an error in their administration.

Whether players succeed and return to play, or fail and are removed, their evaluation will continue in the following hours and days.