O’Toole Recovers from Concussion, Took Four Days to Feel ‘Fully Right’

Ulster prop Tom O’Toole described his concussion sustained last month while representing Ireland as “really frustrating,” stating that it required him four days “to get fully right” following the incident. He incurred the head injury just two minutes after entering the game during Ireland’s defeat to New Zealand on 8 November. The head injury occurred when O’Toole collided with Wallace Sititi a mere two minutes after being substituted into Ireland’s Autumn Nations Series match against New Zealand at Aviva Stadium on Friday, 8 November, which resulted in a defeat for Ireland. The 26-year-old player was subsequently removed from the game. He was sidelined for the victory against Argentina while completing the 12-day return to play protocols, before making his comeback to action on 23 November against Fiji. “Well, to be honest, I don’t really remember much of it,” O’Toole stated. He added, “That probably made it a little bit… not easier because there was more confusion afterwards. I think it probably took me until about Tuesday to get fully right.” He acknowledged the extensive support he received, saying, “The medical staff, they were unbelievably supportive; all the coaching staff, all the players down in camp looked after me really well. That made it easier. I stayed down, did my return to play stuff which was good, I was still in the squad and everyone helped me when they could.” O’Toole’s inclusion in Ireland’s matchday squad for the All Blacks fixture followed Tadhg Furlong’s injury, which led to Finlay Bealham starting as tight-head prop. This match held significant importance for O’Toole, given that he had not participated in the summer’s two-Test series against the Springboks in South Africa and had only made a single bench appearance during this year’s Six Nations tournament. The Drogheda native described being concussed so quickly after his introduction to the game as “really tough,” but maintained that he would not alter his actions if faced with the same circumstances again. O’Toole reflected on the incident, stating, “When you’re coming up against the All Blacks, especially at home and how big of a game it was, you come on and within two minutes you get a scrum, a carry and you feel like you’re in the game and then all of a sudden you’re out.” He expressed his disappointment, adding, “Unfortunately, I don’t remember too much after it. Watching it back is obviously pretty disappointing.” He concluded by accepting the nature of the sport: “That’s rugby, without being too cheesy or whatever. That’s the game, that’s what happens. [I’ve] probably watched it over 100 times to see if I could have done anything differently but unfortunately you can’t really. I just got caught. As I said, I wish I could’ve done something differently but I don’t think I would have done anything differently if I had it again.” In recent weeks, O’Toole has resumed his tight-head responsibilities with Ulster, following his initial experience playing on the loose-head side of the scrum for Ireland during their victory over Fiji last month. This marked O’Toole’s debut playing loose-head at senior level, where he replaced Andrew Porter for the final 30 minutes of Ireland’s 52-17 win. His versatility to play both positions is expected to benefit his Test career. While O’Toole acknowledges that transitioning between sides can feel “awkward,” he expressed confidence in his ability to perform well in either role. He elaborated on the experience, stating, “You kind of know what you should be doing but it feels a little bit awkward, like you’re writing with your other hand for a little bit.” O’Toole added, “It’s like with tight-head stuff. Just getting experience with it, whether in training or games, will grow your confidence in it.”