Ben Donaldson, the playmaker for the Western Force, has moved past the confusion surrounding his head injury assessment (HIA) as the team prepares to face the dangerous Highlanders player, Timoci Tavatavanawai. Donaldson played a crucial role in the Force’s first win of the season against Moana Pasifika, earning high praise and narrowly missing out on full MVP votes for the round.
The incident occurred during the warm-up when Donaldson’s mouthguard came loose, prompting a mandatory concussion test. Reflecting on the unexpected situation, Donaldson explained to reporters, “Most games I keep my mouthguard in my sock until right at the end… I went to put the jersey on and the doc came in… and I had to go to a HIA. It was a pretty frantic ten or so minutes, but I think our doc handled it really well. The process ran smoothly.”
Now in Dunedin for their extended trip in New Zealand, the Force is gearing up for their next match. The main focus is to contain Tavatavanawai, who is dominating the competition statistics with 15 tackle busts and seven offloads. Donaldson acknowledged Tavatavanawai’s threat, highlighting his physical prowess as a ball carrier and his ability to create turnovers.
“He’s probably the biggest threat in attack and defence,” Donaldson noted, emphasizing the need for the team to work collectively to limit Tavatavanawai’s impact. He plans to tackle him aggressively, stating, “I’ve just got to try and cut his space and time down, get off the line, and throw my body around.”
To bolster their defense, Coach Simon Cron has made strategic changes to the lineup, shifting Divad Palu into the centers while welcoming back key players Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Nick Champion de Crespigny to reinforce the pack. This preparation signals the team’s commitment to enhancing their performance as they face their next challenge on the field.