Waratahs' injury woes eased, 'response' needed after Hurricanes humbling

The NSW Waratahs will have Lawson Creighton available for their crunch Super Rugby Pacific clash against Moana Pasifika after the flyhalf was cleared of concussion from their last match.

Creighton avoided a mandatory stand-down following his early exit during the Waratahs’ heavy 57-12 loss to the Hurricanes last round in Wellington.

The 26-year-old was a first-half casualty but revealed on Tuesday it was due to a head cut, not head knock, with his high-tech mouthguard causing confusion by sending a notification via Bluetooth to the match-day doctor.

In Super rugby, a mandatory 12-day stand-down period applies to players who fail a Head Injury Assessment (HIA) and are diagnosed with a concussion.

“I didn’t cop a head knock, but I got a cut that needed a few stitches, and my mouthguard pinged out about 10 or 15 minutes after I was split open,” he said.

“During the game, my test results were slightly down, so they failed me on the HIA, which was frustrating, but I completely understand that’s the protocol we need to follow for player safety.”

After the match, Creighton underwent the required post-match HIA protocols and passed.

“The process involved two follow-up tests, which I passed. That cleared me to play this weekend,” Creighton said.

“It’s just one of those things – the baseline test at the start of the year is done in a controlled environment, but when you’re in the heat of a game dealing with a cut and everything else, sometimes results can be different.

“The important thing is that I feel good and ready to go.”

Creighton said the Waratahs needed to get physical in Auckland on Saturday against Moana, who are riding high after their first competition win over the Crusaders in Christchurch.

“Going over there, it’s pretty clear – you have to win the physical battle,” Creighton said.

“That’s something we didn’t do last week, but we’ve been working hard on it, and I’m sure we’ll get a response.

“We turned the ball over 24 times, and you can’t build pressure with those kinds of stats.”

Joining the Waratahs from Queensland this season, Creighton is enjoying a blossoming partnership with young halfback Teddy Wilson, with regular No.9, captain Jake Gordon, sidelined with a knee injury.

“Minutes for me are great and I think we’re starting to develop some real cohesion,” Creighton said.

“When we’re on, we’re really good – we just need to narrow the gap when we’re not.”