Mathieu Bastareaud receives standing ovation after collapsing in Toulon return

Less than four minutes into Lyon’s clash with Toulon at Stade Mayol, Toulon’s former captain Mathieu Bastareaud was forced from the field on a stretcher after collapsing with a serious leg injury.

Playing at No.8, the former French international collapsed without contact while taking a short ball into the Toulon defence. The innocuous incident occurred just before Bastareaud was about to make contact with the line.

Lyon’s captain was audibly heard around the ground screaming as medics rushed to his aid to assist him from the field. The Toulon crowd were full of empathy for their former player, whom he played for 54 times from 2011 to 2019, offering an ovation as a visibly emotional Bastareaud exited the field.

L’hommage du public @RCTofficiel pour @BastaOfficiel ?#RCTLOU pic.twitter.com/LTS9yaBWh2

— Canal Rugby Club (@CanalRugbyClub) November 27, 2021

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Lyon staff suspected that he had ruptured ligaments in his right knee during the halftime break, which would result in significant time on the sidelines for Bastareaud.

He was returning to action from a hand injury for the first time since early November, and had only made one appearance for Lyon this season after an eight-month layoff with left knee injury.

Now the 33-year-old faces significant time to recover from a suspected ligament injury to his right knee.