Now the real surprise would be if he doesn’t play this match. Antoine Dupont, injured in the cheekbone and operated on less than three weeks ago for a maxillo-zygomatic fracture, should, barring any drama, participate in the quarter-final of the Rugby World Cup between the XV of France and the South Africa, Sunday October 15, in Saint-Denis (Seine-Saint-Denis).
The captain and scrum-half of the Blues returned to contact training this week and is now “at 100% capacity”assured William Servat, the coach in charge of the forwards, on Wednesday. “Today, Antoine is even more concerned since he has returned with us and he participates very actively in all the training, all the videos and everything that simply makes up the game of the France team,” added the French coach.
With a future holder’s vest on his back, Dupont (26 years old, 51 caps) took part normally in the preparation sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday, the latter having been carried out at high intensity. For the occasion, he wore a helmet, which is not his habit.
“We tested to see what it gave, to find out if it really protected or not. We wanted to check if his vision was impaired. In his hearing too, even if there was no Rueil-Malmaison [dans les Hauts-de-Seine, où les Bleus se préparent] the same noise, the same atmosphere as at the Stade de France. We tried with or without. A decision will be made at the end of the week”French attack coach Laurent Labit explained on Tuesday.
Everything indicates that the Stade Toulouse player, who had hastily left his partners on September 21 against Namibia, after receiving a violent headbutt in the face, will be back for the crucial match against the reigning world champions at Stade de France. “Antoine is an intelligent person, he’s a sensible person. If he says he can play again, it’s because he is fully capable of doing so”estimated third row Grégory Alldritt.
Springbok charges
Operated the day after a maxillo-zygomatic fracture, Dupont first observed an eight-day rest period, before joining the French team on the evening of 1er october. After a week of physical rehabilitation work, on Monday October 9, he received authorization from his surgeon to take part in the classic training sessions of the French XV, which may include contact between players.
These charges probably have nothing to do with the power of those that await him against the Springboks, a very physical team. But this does not seem to dampen the ardor of the management of the XV of France and of Dupont himself. Fabien Galthié must officially communicate the names of the players who will make up his team, Friday October 13 at 11:30 a.m., at Roland-Garros, in Paris.