The news of Ringrose’s head knock and the fact that he will miss the first Test came mid-match in Adelaide. Huw Jones, the other outside centre in the squad, was conveniently tearing it up at the time.
“Garry unfortunately had a delayed reaction,” head coach Andy Farrell confirmed after the rout of the AUNZ Invitational side. “He had headaches for a day and it carried on the next day. So he went through concussion protocols and failed those, unfortunately.”
A day that started with Ringrose and Bundee Aki looking very much like the Test match midfield (with the Scottish counterparts Jones and Sione Tuipulotu not making the squad) looks to have completely turned on its head.
Jones, gaining form after recovering from injury and outstanding in Adelaide, will start at 13 against the Wallabies. Farrell talks a lot about cohesion, so it would make sense for Tuipulotu to join him. It was always going to be the two Irish centres or the two Scottish centres, despite all the mixing and matching in earlier games.
If it’s Jones and Tuipulotu, then what happens to Aki, a bit of a force of nature in the red jersey? The bench? Well, not really. You fancy that Owen Farrell will cover 12, as well as 10, so maybe Aki misses out altogether. Ringrose misses the game and there’s a butterfly effect.
“I actually don’t know a lot about it,” Jones said after the game of the news about Ringrose. “No-one told me, which I think was probably a good thing because then it didn’t mess with my head.
“He played really well on Wednesday [against the Brumbies]. He’s great, one of the best guys I’ve met. We shared a room in Perth and I really got on with him. We’ve been working together loads, the four of us, Sione and Bundee as well, to try and get all of our connections, so I’m gutted for him.
“But if that means that I get an opportunity next week then I’ll be very happy with that and then try and grab it with both hands.”
A Scottish 10-12-13 looks likely. And it’s a Scottish 10-12-13 with recent memories of putting the Wallabies to sleep – Finn Russell and Tuipulotu each scored a try in their November win last year.
