By WYNNE GRAY
Jeff Wilson knew he had to quit at halftime, his double-vision and nausea were not the sort of security-blanket the All Blacks needed from their fullback.
Not for the first time in his All Black career, Wilson had to be replaced because he was suffering from an exercise-induced migraine, a condition team doctor John Mayhew said is prevalent in top sports people.
Former skipper Taine Randell suffers from the same problem and both he and Wilson take anti-inflammatories to help them to deal with their predicament.
At Newlands yesterday, though, Wilson felt his ordeal starting when he made a strong tackle on Springbok wing Dean Hall in the first quarter.
"I got a bang on the head and it started then," he said.
"After that I could have sworn the ball was going all over the place. It was a weird feeling and I had no option but to go off."
Mayhew said Wilson would recover quickly for the plane trip home from the Republic and there would be no problems either for Reuben Thorne or Norm Maxwell, who played with perforated eardrums.
Wilson could not go back to rest at the team hotel immediately because he and skipper Anton Oliver had to complete drug testing.
All Blacks 2001 test schedule/scoreboard
All Blacks/Maori squads for 2001
Double trouble for fullback Jeff Wilson
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.