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Rugby

02nd Apr 2015

Welsh player lost 48 hours of memory and forgot he was in Belfast after this crunching blow

Sobering stuff

Patrick McCarry

A hit that has caused multiple repercussions.

Cardiff Blues out-half Rhys Patchell took such a hefty blow to the head, from the swinging forearm of Ulster’s Nick Williams, that he lost two days of memory and cannot remember his team’s trip to Belfast.

Blues chief executive Richard Holland told Wales Online the full extent of the serious concussion and memory loss his player was left with after the crunching blow he received at Kingspan Stadium, Belfast, on March 27.

This is the hit that earned Williams a yellow card, an eight week suspension [although he cannot play rugby again until September 1], and left Patchell in such distress.

The 21-year-old, twice capped by Wales, will miss the Blues’ upcoming Guinness PRO12 game with Newport Gwent Dragons and his club are not setting any return date.

Holland commente, ‘Rhys will undergo the game’s return to play protocols but we are unclear when he will be fit to resume.

‘With concussion there’s no definitive time-scale for a full recovery. It could be days, weeks, months or worse.’