Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend says “extra work” is required to make sensible mouthguards “right” after an alert prompted the non permanent withdrawal of prop Zander Ferguson in Saturday’s Six Nations win over England.
Fagerson went off for a head harm evaluation (HIA) after six minutes at Murrayfield, with Elliot Millar-Mills taking his place, earlier than being given the all clear to proceed.
“Sure it was [an alert] and I noticed the deal with once more – only a regular deal with,” Townsend stated.
“I feel we’ve got to actually watch what we’re doing right here. Belief in expertise that is not been confirmed.”
Sensible mouthguards are getting used within the males’s Six Nations for the primary time this yr.
They file the acceleration power (G-force) and route of power concerned in contacts, often called “head acceleration occasions”, and might present real-time information to a physician or official on the sidelines.
Fagerson is the second Scotland participant impacted by the brand new expertise after hooker George Hooker went off the sphere for an HIA within the defeat by France.
Townsend added: “What we have been doing over the previous couple of years is ensuring that any signs which are seen, a variety of folks can flag up whether or not somebody goes off for an HIA.
“Zander was taken off for 10 minutes after what regarded like a standard deal with however there was a spike alert from the mouthguard.
“I do know in Tremendous Rugby there have been a few alerts and gamers have been saying, ‘there’s nothing flawed right here, I’ve simply made a deal with’, so we have got to look at that since you do not wish to be taking our greatest gamers off the sphere for 10 minutes if there are not any points round concussion.
“We wish to shield our gamers, that is for sure, however there is a bit extra work to do earlier than this expertise is right.”
Townsend was requested if he believed the expertise had been rushed in.
“It is a new factor within the Six Nations and it isn’t been used at membership degree previous to the Six Nations,” he responded. “I might hope they’d study from this incident and clearly George Turner went off for 10 minutes within the earlier recreation.
“[We need] to verify it is as near correct as potential. That is what we wish.
“We have now a lot of eyes watching and gamers at the moment are superb at saying, ‘I’ve had a head harm right here, I’ve to go off’.
“I feel we simply must do a bit extra work right here earlier than we transfer on.”