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Antoine Dupont, the hymn to joy

Animator, learned manager, efficient at the foot … Dupont can also change into a finisher when conditions require it. The Toulouse scrum-half gave joy in a dyonisian enclosure empty of public and sad, where the France team started the meeting badly.

It took first a first international test by his teammate Cyril Baille, in force, to see the Blues resurface.

Then Dupont, who managed to be forgotten, materialized a beautiful collective movement (31st) initiated by his friend at the hinge, the opener Romain Ntamack and continued in the construction by the elusive Virimi Vakatawa and Teddy Thomas, as a smuggler decisive (12-13).

Four minutes later, the native of Lannemezan, in the Hautes-Pyrénées, was once again at the finish to allow his people to widen the gap (19-13).

In the second half, the scrum-half with the small template (1.74 m, 85 kg) once again made speak his speed of acceleration to turn into a decisive passer towards his captain Charles Ollivon, author of the fourth test for the French.
For his 25th selection, the player trained in Auch, described as “a discreet leader”, “passionate” but also “naughty” by his partners and coaches at Stade Toulouse, has therefore offered a fifth and sixth tests in Blue.

One more confirmation for Dupont who never stops growing. A precocious talent, the 2019 French champion made his debut at 17 in the Top 14 with Castres. With the XV of France, he already started at 22 at the last World Cup, completed in the quarter-finals in Japan.

“Used to taking responsibility”

This season, Dupont had another “first” by celebrating his first captaincy with the Toulouse Stadium. It was September 12 against La Rochelle in the league (victory 39-23).

“It is the logical continuation of his progress, he is someone who, from a very young age, has been used to taking responsibility and who manages his emotions very well,” explained Toulouse Stadium coach Ugo Mola.

In Blue also, Dupont knew how to impose himself and knows how to speak when necessary to command or harangue the pack of forwards. He demonstrated it again on Saturday night in Saint-Denis where his complementarity at the hinge with Ntamack, his partner also in the club, weighed on the meeting.

Dupont, who confided to L’Equipe during the week, admire the level of passing of the All Blacks scrum half Aaron Smith and the “support” of his club teammate and world champion, the South African winger Cheslin Kolbe, had nothing to envy anyone on Saturday night.

Decidedly, the Welsh remain a good memory for Dupont who had already actively participated in the success obtained at the end of February in Cardiff (27-23) during the Six Nations Tournament. The first on Welsh land since 2010. It was in front of some 74,000 spectators at the Principality Stadium.

On Saturday, his exit 10 minutes from the end was quiet. In a world without Covid-19, he would have received warm applause.

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