Coach expresses his disgust after TMO misses brutal late hit

REACTION: Western Force coach Simon Cron has expressed his disgust at how Lachie Swinton's brutal late hit on flyhalf Jake Strachan went unnoticed during Saturday's 16-36 loss to the Waratahs.

Swinton flattened Strachan just 21 seconds into the match after the Force playmaker had completed a clearing kick.

The referee and TMO failed to pick up the incident during the match, despite Strachan going off a few minutes later for a concussion test.

Strachan passed the HIA and returned to the field, but was subbed out at half-time after his condition deteriorated.

The concussion is so bad that Strachan is set to miss a minimum of four weeks.

Swinton was later cited by SANZAAR and slapped with a 10-week ban, which was reduced to seven weeks given Swinton's acceptance of guilt and display of remorse.

If Swinton had received a red card when the incident occurred, it would have put the Force in the box seat to secure a vital victory.

Cron was left flabbergasted at how the incident went unnoticed at the time.

"We saw it live, everyone I've talked to saw it live ... and yet two guys in the [TMO] box with nine cameras missed it," Cron told reporters on Thursday.

"So you've got to ask the question - did they miss it, or did they choose to miss it?

"Because I don't understand how you could miss it."

Force chief executive Tony Lewis has written to Rugby Australia about the incident.

Strachan was allowed to re-enter the field in the first half after being cleared by an independent doctor.

Despite it not being a Force medical staff member who cleared him to return, Cron was feeling some guilt that Strachan was placed at further risk.

"I wish I picked up that he was not good. He was battling to make any calls - structure, system wise," Cron said.

"We had some young leaders out there and they said to me after the game, 'He wasn't talking to us'.

"If I had known that, I would have pulled him off immediately.

"I wish that I had picked up on that myself from the box. I'm disappointed in us we didn't see it.

"I felt bad for Strachy because that's risky, it scares me.

"But ultimately, I think that if it had been dealt with properly the first time [with the TMO addressing the hit], it would have been a lot clearer for everyone."

Swinton's seven-week suspension is the longest ban imposed on an Australian since Brumbies wing Chance Peni was hit with one of similar length five years ago.