Snack Media is spending the run-up to the 2019 Rugby World Cup taking you through the tournament, the teams and even the terms of one of the world’s most popular sports. Our twelfth blog looks at the France’s Antoine Dupont.
When it comes to players for the future, France are littered with stars that could make a name for themselves over the next decade. But while they have won the last two World Under-20 Championships, their senior team have struggled to perform in recent years.
However, this last Six Nations saw head coach Jacques Brunel try to blood some younger talent in before the World Cup, and one of those players was the 22-year-old Antoine Dupont.
The scrum-half started on the bench for the first half of the Six Nations, but a few impressive cameos saw him start towards the end of the championship.
France traditionally see their scrum-halves as the generals that dictate the game for them, particularly with their boot. But Dupont brings so much more to his team with a frenetic energy and pace that he possesses. The French have looked laboured and sluggish over the past few seasons, but Dupont could be the catalyst to help the team play with more tempo. They have a wealth of talent in the pack and out wide, and the 14-cap international could be the man to help them play to their potential.
Dupont, who can also operate as a fly-half, has come off a great season with Toulouse, winning the Top 14 and making the semi-final of the Champions Cup. If he can bring that good form into the World Cup, he could make a France a dangerous prospect, despite many writing them off.
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