Tonight’s rugby news as Wales star failed medical test amid TV distraction and England in ‘full-scale emergency’

Here are the latest rugby headlines on Monday, August 14.

Wales star failed HIA after being distracted

Wales have raised questions after Taine Basham failed a HIA as he was distracted by a television in the Twickenham assessment room.

Basham was the victim of an Owen Farrell head shot that saw the England captain sent off on Saturday. The Wales back-rower was unable to return to the field after failing the test, but Warren Gatland has now questioned the process.

He wrote in the Telegraph: “Taine failed his HIA (head injury assessment) after he was taken off but we are going to ask further questions about that because the player said he felt fine and that the assessment was hard to take because there was a television on in the same room.”

During the assessment, the player’s immediate memory, concentration, balance and delayed recall are all tested, with the player having to remember and recite back a series of random words among other things.

Basham has undergone all of the relevant HIA protocols since Saturday and as of yet it is not a confirmed concussion. The first HIA test is only for suspected concussions but the confirmed diagnosis comes from the second or third test.

Wales hope he could still be available for the weekend match against South Africa – a game he could start in.

Attack coach Alex King added: “It’s not a confirmed concussion so I think that’s a positive from that point of view,” said King. “Fingers crossed there’s no side effects from the tackle.”

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England ripped apart

England have been ripped apart for their performance against Wales, despite edging to a 19-17 victory.

Steve Borthwick’s side have faced grim headlines in the English press today, with The Daily Mail saying England are heading for a World Cup disaster unless something changes quickly.

An editorial in the newspaper read: “This is now a full-scale emergency. Somehow, England have to find a way to save their World Cup campaign from a grisly fate — and also save the sport here from the spectre of terminal apathy.

“In more ways than one, the lights are in danger of going out.

“The national team narrowly averted the doomsday scenario of a fourth straight Test defeat, by snatching victory over an experimental Wales side at Twickenham on Saturday. But an admirable demonstration of character and resilience was the only silver lining aro