I PAID the price for getting my head on the wrong side of a tackle last week but it was a case of shaken, not stirred and hopefully I can play my part in a massive weekend of European rugby.

After been knocked clean out against the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday and suffering anterograde amnesia, so I’m told by our medical staff, it has been a case of less is more and passing the required tests.

It was my own fault really as I had a niggle in my neck from the win against Cardiff Blues on Boxing Day and, although I was fit to play, I tried to protect it when their lock James King ran onto the ball at pace inside our 22 after an hour. Next thing you know...

I can’t remember 10 minutes of the game and injuries like that don’t make pleasant viewing for friends and family.

My mother still refuses to watch me play to this day and my dad couldn’t make it down to the Liberty Stadium because of work commitments.

So watching on the television he found it frustrating that when I was down on the field the footage went to an interview in the stands so he was relieved when the camera showed me on my feet and being led from the field by our doctor Ro Kulkarni rather than being stretchered off.

In years gone by the injury would have automatically led to three weeks out but now we have cognitive testing by the medical staff.

I’ve had memory tests with words and had to recite numbers backwards – something that boys (who I couldn't possibly mention) would struggle with at the best of times!

Then there was a computer game that tested me with a game a cards, which hopefully will lead to better fortunes next time that I’m at the casino.

I also had to show that I’m up to contact by being put through my paces by our head physio Chris Jenkins and he has a large enough frame to test me as thoroughly as the rest of our squad!

It’s called a graded return and it has led to me getting plenty of stick from the boys for doing minimal exercise but it’s an important process and concussion is something that has to be taken seriously these days.

Fingers crossed I will get the all clear so that I can be part of a massive game at Newcastle in the European Rugby Challenge Cup.

It’s a competition that we can have a really good crack at and if we get a pair of good results against the Falcons and then against Stade Francais next Saturday then we will be in the quarter-finals.

I hadn’t broken through into the first team when we played Brive in the last eight and Clermont in the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup in 2007 but I played in the LV= Cup semi-final at Gloucester in 2011 and it would great to experience more knockout rugby.

Newcastle did a job on us at Rodney Parade in October by winning 30-26 but if we can return the favour we’ll be in great shape for our game with Stade.

There’s a massive carrot of a home quarter-final dangling in front of us and the next fortnight is a great opportunity for us to show that we are a good team.