England captain Phil Vickery reflected on the punch that ended his RBS 6 Nations and vowed: ‘What goes around comes around’.
Vickery was concussed after being struck by Bristol prop Jason Hobson in a Guinness Premiership clash at the start of the month.
The 31-year-old Wasps front row was forced to miss the Six Nations games against France and Wales while Hobson was handed a three-week ban by disciplinary chiefs.
Vickery said: ‘It’s disappointing and frustrating but it’s one of those things. I couldn’t train or play and I just had to accept it.
‘I just had to step back and be miserable for a few weeks. It’s part of the thing. It happened and I hope he feels disappointed.
‘If he doesn’t he will get his just desserts one day I suppose. What goes around comes around.
‘I spoke to (Bristol coach) Richard Hill and he was bitterly disappointed with what happened. He apologised on behalf of Bristol Rugby club. Such is life.’
Vickery’s greatest disappointment was that the incident denied him the opportunity to play his part in atoning for England’s 43-13 mauling by Ireland.
Mike Catt deputised as skipper against France in the following match and led the world champions to a 26-18 triumph at Twickenham.
Vickery said: ‘The Bristol game was a huge match for Wasps at the time. We played really well and I was having one of my better games for a while.
‘After the frustration of the Ireland game it was a good game to be involved in and I was just looking forward to the next England match.
‘It all got cut short which was frustrating.’
Vickery, who has made a full recovery and is available for Saturday’s Heineken Cup quarter-final against Leinster, described the sensation of being concussed as ‘very strange’.
He said: ‘(Wasps coach) Shaun Edwards has had the same thing. It’s not very nice. It’s like you’ve got your sea legs on all the time.
‘You think you’re all right and then you go to stand up or you get up too quickly and you have to try to grab something to steady yourself.
‘There are so many variations of concussion I don’t think the specialists know enough about it. It’s one of those mysterious things.
‘It varies from person to person. I’ve been sparkled a few times but I’ve never had anything like that before. It was very, very strange.’
