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London - English Premiership club Sale are being investigated over a possible breach of concussion management protocol involving Samoa's TJ Ioane.
A panel will meet to examine an incident in Sale's Premiership defeat at Harlequins last Saturday in which Ioane appeared to be concussed but remained on the pitch and completed the match.
Ioane took a blow to the head while tackling Harlequins hooker Dave Ward, but the back row gingerly returned to his feet and resumed play without receiving any medical treatment.
The incident was not picked up by the member of the Sharks' medical team appointed to look for instances of concussion during the match, with the assistance of television replays.
The English Rugby Football Union investigation comes less than a month after Northampton were the subject of a probe into the handling of George North's latest blow to the head.
"A concussion management review group panel will convene to examine an incident in the 30th minute of the match between Harlequins and Sale on 7 January, involving Sale player TJ Ioane," an Rugby Football Union (RFU) statement read.
"The RFU and Premiership Rugby have appointed Dr Julian Morris to be the independent chairman and will be joined by the RFU's director of professional rugby Nigel Melville and Phil Winstanley, the rugby director at Premiership Rugby.
"A joint RFU/Premiership Rugby update will be provided in seven days and until that time no further comment will be made."
