The Blues say Beauden Barrett will be closely monitored over the next few days for signs of concussion, after the star first-five was forced from the field during the 32-25 win over the Highlanders at Dunedin on Saturday.
The All Blacks pivot was bulldozed by Highlanders centre Fetuli Paea and appeared groggy on the ground. He didn't return to play from Head Injury Assessment.
The 30-year-old has struggled with the effects of a head knock suffered against Ireland during the European Tour in November, admitting he'd feared his career may have been over.
Seeing Barrett in the aftermath of his attempted tackle on Paea would have had both Blues and All Blacks brass with hearts in their mouths.
But at this stage, Barrett has nothing more than superficial injuries, with coach Leon MacDonald later confirming they were never going to take the gamble of letting him return to the field.
"It was a no-brainer," MacDonald said after the game.
"He got good contact to the face, that's why he's got a bleeding nose and his [fat] lip.
"We're never going to take any chances with Beauden. We want to look after his health and make sure he's well, and it was an automatic decision really.
"Hopefully it's nothing too much more than that [a nose and lip injury], but we'll have to track him and see how he turns up."
MacDonald dismissed suggestions Barrett's tackling technique had been responsible for his injuries.
"It was just one of those carries that the Highlanders started chucking in the second half," he said.
"Brutal carries, body on the line stuff. Their cleanouts were ferocious in the second half, and he was on the end of one."
Before his premature departure, Barrett had been one of the best for the Blues, guiding them around the park and scoring a slick try in the corner from a close-range scrum.
Fortunately for the Auckland-based side, replacement Stephen Perofeta continued his strong form to help his team negotiate the Highlanders' relentless comeback efforts.
"Stevie did a great job," MacDonald added. "He's got that X-factor with his running game and he's starting to really control the game well, so we're pretty fortunate there."
On the other side of the field, Highlanders coach Tony Brown lamented some basic mistakes and a mountain of costly missed tackles.
Some key frontline players were absent from the game due to COVID-19 - including All Blacks prop Etan de Groot and Marino Mikaele-Tu'u.
"We're obviously battling with COVID-19 and that's just what it is," Brown said.
"We'll see how they recover over the weekend, and see how they front up at the start of the week."
And Brown will need all hands on deck for Friday's big southern derby against the Crusaders in Christchurch.
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