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Toulouse's Ntamack suffers concussion in Top 14, Willemse nears exit / Photo: © AFP
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Toulouse's Ntamack suffers concussion in Top 14, Willemse nears exit
Toulouse fly-half Romain Ntamack was forced off with concussion during his team's Top 14 clash against Toulon on Saturday as it was revealed Montpellier's Paul Willemse is set to retire after repeated head knocks.
Ntamack went off after 19 minutes in reigning French and European champions Toulouse's match against Toulon, and was replaced by Paul Graou following an alert from his connected mouthguard.
Ntamack did not return to the pitch, the 26-year-old having failed the concussion protocol procedure.
Television footage showed the France international returning directly to the locker room at Marseille's Velodrome stadium.
Since November, mouthguards have been worn by all players in the Top 14.
In the event of a violent impact, the mouthguard sends an alert signal.
The affected player then goes off to undergo a protocol to determine if he has indeed suffered a concussion.
Meanwhile, Montpellier's France lock Willemse, who has suffered repeated concussions, is unlikely to play again with the club and is heading towards the end of his career, club president Mohed Altrad told French radio on Saturday.
"He's giving signs that he's going to retire," Altrad said when asked about the player's future.
"Wisely, his contract is up anyway."
Willemse, 32, suffered a concussion against Stade Francais last October, his sixth in the space of a year, just as he was returning after several months out following another head injury.
Since October, the South Africa-born player, who has 32 caps for France, has not even returned to training, his lay-off being regularly extended by specialised doctors who are treating him.
G.Grabowski--GL
