Martin Lange, edited by Philippe Folgado / Photo credit: Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP
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7:23 a.m., October 3, 2023
The Blues leave their Aix-en-Provence HQ this Tuesday, heading to Lyon to face Italy and validate qualification for the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup. A match in which, barring a huge surprise, Antoine Dupont should not participate. His replacement, Maxime Lucu is ready for this meeting.
Since his first selection two years ago, he has lived in the shadow of the best player in the world. Always present in the France group, he is content with the crumbs that we are willing to give him: 5 minutes at the end of the match, but sometimes, not to set foot on the pitch.
“Maxime Lucu is a leader who will manage the game”
But contrary to what one might believe, Maxime Lucu, 30, is satisfied with his role as understudy to the captain of the XV of France: “For him, it is exceptional to be one of the 33 players selected and to be number 2 behind Antoine Dupont. If he only has to play 2 minutes, he will do it with pleasure. He is living a dream, he is enjoying every moment” according to his brother, Ximun, also a rugby player.
A pure Basque, Maxime Lucu first tried pelota at his home in Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle. Then in rugby, he trained at Biarritz Olympique before exploding in Bordeaux where he is now one of the best scrum halfs in the championship, in a style very different from Dupont.
For Dimitri Yachvilli, now a consultant for France Télévisions and who held the same position as Lucu, the French team is in good hands: “Antoine Dupont is the best player in the world, he has extraordinary physical abilities, no one can replace him. But Maxime Lucu is a manager, a leader who will be able to manage the play of the France team and therefore it should work.”
So far it’s working pretty well for him, in 17 caps, Maxime Lucu has never lost a match with the Blues.