Leicester’s Solomone Kata banned despite ‘obvious concussion’ before red card

Leicester’s Solomone Kata will miss five games, despite showing “obvious signs of concussion” that should have led to his exit from the pitch before making a high tackle for which he received a red card.

Leicester are understood to be unhappy with the decision to ban the centre, one of the club’s most important players, for a large chunk of the domestic season.

In the hearing’s full written judgment, Jack Yeandle – the target of Kata’s challenge in Leicester’s 17-14 win at Sandy Park – said initial contact was “definitely” on his shoulder. Earlier, Kata had been on the receiving end of a heavy blow to the head in a challenge involving his Leicester team-mate Ollie Chessum. Kata did not leave the field for a Head Injury Assessment (HIA), but Chessum did and was cleared to return to the field of play.

After footage of the incident was reviewed by the independent match-day doctor – who missed it at the time – Leicester were informed post-match that both Kata and Chessum had shown category-one symptoms – described in the HIA protocols as “displaying obvious on-field signs of concussion” – in the first incident.

It was deemed that they would both now have to follow return-to-play processes and stand down from action for at least 12 days. It is obligatory that players showing category-one symptoms are removed from the field of play immediately and do not return. It means, had Kata received an HIA at the time, he would have not been on the field to make the challenge on Yeandle.

Should Chessum progress without issue, the England lock will be available for Leicester’s trip to Newcastle next weekend. After Kata’s ban, however, the centre will not be free to play until Nov 1, in the first round of the Premiership Rugby Cup. The next time that the Tonga international will represent Leicester in the Premiership will be on Dec 1, away to Sale.

The Tigers’ disappointment is furthered by the fact that this Sunday’s match against Bath is not included in Kata’s ban, since the 28-year-old would not have been available for selection because of the mandatory 12-day stand-down period. Theoretically, if Kata had not had the earlier clash of heads with Chessum and still been sent off, the match against Bath would have counted as one of his suspended games. The centre received a four-match ban from the disciplinary panel; but will miss five games in actual terms owing to his absence against Bath this weekend. Kata was not eligible for the “coaching intervention programme” due to already having completed the course in April this year.

According to the written judgment, referee Tom Foley stated that he had been told by the television match official that only one angle of the incident involving Yeandle was available on the field of play. “The Referee viewed the first clip and was asked whether that footage was the only footage he had seen on the pitch,” the judgment states. “He confirmed that it was. He was then asked when the TMO had told him that there were other clips which he had not been shown as they were not “suitable for broadcast”. He responded that he had been told this after the match [on Saturday evening].”

Leicester are yet to respond to Telegraph Sport’s request for comment. The RFU has also been approached for a statement.

Kata’s controversy was not the only issue with the HIA protocols last weekend. Tom Curry, the England flanker, was allowed to return to the field in the first half of Sale’s victory over Harlequins last Sunday after a “technical error” where he appeared to be knocked out. Curry passed his initial HIA but was then removed as a precaution at half-time after further assessment..