Martin Lange, edited by Gauthier Delomez / Photo credits: Shaun Botterill / GETTY IMAGES EUROPE / Getty Images via AFP
“You miss only one being, and everything is depopulated”, here is the famous saying of Alphonse de Lamartine which could very well be applied to the XV of France. Deprived of their usual captain Antoine Dupont, who is preparing for the Olympic Games in rugby sevens, the Blues sank on Friday at the opening of the Six Nations Tournament against Ireland (38-17), the largest defeat at home for more than ‘a century.
The contrast was also striking this weekend, with on one side a borrowed XV of France, without ideas and swept away by the green tide, and on the other a Dupont twirling and author of high class gestures with the Stadium Toulouse this Saturday against Bayonne (46-26 victory for Toulouse).
“It proves that there is no pilot on the plane”
Unfortunately, this same Antoine Dupont is not with the Blues this Tuesday morning to prepare for the match of fear against Scotland. It is in fact a few kilometers away, at Insep, with the French rugby sevens team. A choice that Richard Escot, the newspaper’s rugby editor, does not understand. The Team. “We are on the verge of ridicule, and that clearly proves that there is no pilot on the plane,” says the sports journalist at the microphone of Europe 1.
“If (Fabien) Galthié (the coach, editor’s note) is not able to say to his captain ‘you stay with us, you play in the tournament. It’s really important, we need you, we have to “restores our image” is that we have no control over this sport,” said Richard Escot.
A decision taken in consultation with his Toulouse club
Would Antoine Dupont have changed anything against Ireland? Difficult to say, but the decision was taken several weeks ago, in consultation with his Toulouse club. We must now move forward, according to Europe 1 rugby consultant, Serge Blanco. “He is not going to rejoin the French team since everyone agrees (for him to participate in the Olympics)! How do you want us to go back?”, asks the legend of French rugby .
Saturday against Scotland, we will once again have to count on his replacement, Maxime Lucu, starter against Ireland, and on the young Nolan Le Garrec, incisive when he came into play on Friday.