RUGBY MATTERS
BRENDAN GALLAGHER
A weekly look at the game’s other talking points

I’VE been surprised that some have been surprised at Antoine Dupont’s determination to play through the pain and discomfort of a fractured cheek. It sets a bad example apparently and could allegedly be dangerous. And what does it say about the mixed messages the game is sending out about head injuries?
Well let’s quickly deal with that. I didn’t detect any element of concussion when his cheekbone was smashed by Johan Deysel’s challenge, just a world of pain, but I don’t doubt for a second that if considered n...