All Blacks captain Sam Cane wants to make it very clear, if you're not feeling OK, go off the field - but he knows, if he is to do that, he has to lead by example.
The Chiefs loose forward was replaced late in his side’s round seven Super Rugby Pacific win over the Hurricanes at Wellington, after feeling unwell, and was subsequently held out of the following fixture against Fijian Drua.
"It was a tough time to go off, because we were defending for the game, but based off those headaches and not feeling right, I made the decision to go off, knowing I'd miss last week," Cane told Newshub.
"I got a bit of whiplash in a tackle, and for the next 15 minutes or so, every time I went into a collision, they were slowly getting worse.
"I wasn’t sure if it was concussion, I just knew it wasn't normal for me to have headaches out on the field."
Cane proved to be correct. After further tests, examinations and consultations, it was revealed he had a neck problem.
"I went through the concussion protocols, but also got to sit down with a concussion specialist, and do a lot of tests with eyes and vision," he explained to Newshub. With that, we've come to the conclusion that it's neck stiffness and neck tightness.
"It’s unrelated to my neck injury," Cane says smiling, referencing the broken neck he suffered in 2018. "It was quite pleasing to find out that it was the upper part of my neck, the joints and muscles having a bit of trouble, and from that was shooting some pain into my head."
He was relieved to learn it wasn’t concussion, especially given his history with head knocks.
"Deep down, I thought it wasn't a head knock, because of how it happened, but you're never too sure, so it was a confidence boost to hear it from the specialists and get a thumbs up to get back into it."
Regardless, he was still listed as unavailable for last weekend’s win over the Drua, after undergoing concussion protocols.
"I got some treatment from the physios and haven’t had any issues since. I’ve still gone through the concussion protocols, because that's what needs to be done, but I'm, feeling really good and really confident."
He’ll need to be, with a crucial match against the defending champion Crusaders looming.
While Cane says it was tough missing his side's club-record eighth consecutive victory, he has no regrets in leaving the field, and encourages others to listen to their bodies and seek treatment, if they aren't feeling right.
"I've seen enough teammates and been around long enough to know the effects concussion can have. I'm always going to make smart decisions based on that and for my future.
"I wouldn't change it. It was the right decision."
Join Newshub at 7pm Saturday for live updates of the Chiefs v Crusaders Super Rugby Pacific clash
