Clermont Auvergne’s ex-All Blacks center George Moala admitted to having had a difficult six weeks sidelined with a head injury ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Bristol Bears in the opening round of the European Champions Cup.
Moala, 30, won the last of his four Test caps for New Zealand in 2016 and has played just three games since suffering the original problem in a Top 14 game at Bayonne in September.
In a potential landmark case concerning brain injuries in professional rugby union, England World Cup winner Steve Thompson was among a group of former internationals who on Tuesday announced that they were planning legal action against rugby authorities over lack of protection from the risks caused by concussion.
Photo: AFP
It is an issue that clearly chimes with Moala.
“It was pretty tough. It’s impacted me mentally a lot. I was going through a lot of memory loss,” Moala said of his head injury.
“I would talk to my partner and she would say: ‘You just said that.’ That’s when it really hit me. I wasn’t just thinking about my career, but I was thinking about kids after rugby,” Moala said. “I’m so happy and grateful that I’m back to normal, but to be honest, I went through some dark times. It’s a big deal.”
Moala’s Clermont side are third in the Top 14 and head to England to face a Bristol outfit without star Fijian back Semi Radradra after he sustained a dead leg at a Test on Saturday last week.
“They’re not just Semi. They have Siale Piutau at center. He’s a great player, too — he’s been playing awesome,” Moala said.
Tonga midfielder Piutau and Moala’s former Blues teammate, Steven Luatua, are among nine players, along with Bristol coach Pat Lam, to claim Pacific islands heritage at Bristol.
“I thought they were another Pacific team,” Moala added.
“I haven’t really followed Steven in the UK, but back home, he was always a natural leader... I knew he would carry that with him, regardless of which team he was going to go to,” Moala said.
In Europe, Clermont are three-time runners-up and last season were knocked out in the last eight by French rivals and eventual losing finalists Racing 92 — a game Moala missed due to his head injury.
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