Former England wing Anthony Watson has revealed he memorised answers to circumvent the head injury assessment protocol after a collision with Sonny Bill Williams during the 2017 British and Irish Lions series in New Zealand. Watson appeared unsteady following the hit, failing to stand from a kneeling position before being replaced by Jack Nowell.

Six minutes later, Watson returned to the field and played the remainder of the Lions' 24-21 victory, later featuring for 72 minutes in the series decider at Eden Park. The recall element of the HIA test has since changed, now using random word sequences from a bank of 20 words rather than a fixed list of five. Players are penalised for incorrect answers, making it impossible to memorise all possible combinations.

Watson, who retired in January 2025 after a back injury ended his career, expressed no regrets about prioritising the Test match over his health. He acknowledged experiencing a severe headache that night but stated he would make the same choice again, given the four-year gap between Lions tours. The 32-year-old believes modern testing protocols make it impossible to cheat the system as he did, citing improved technology and protocols that make players safer than ever before.