Staff Reporter
PARIS, FRANCE, Oct. 14 — Antoine Dupont has confidently declared his readiness to lead France in the World Cup quarter-final clash against South Africa on Sunday, just over three weeks after suffering a broken cheekbone.
The 2021 world player of the year underwent surgery following a head-on-head tackle from Namibia captain Johan Deysel during Les Bleus’ third pool match in Marseille on September 21. After resuming full training this week, Dupont has received the medical and coaching staff’s approval to start in the highly anticipated Stade de France showdown against the world champions.
“I feel very well,” said the 26-year-old scrum-half during Les Bleus’ team announcement press conference at Roland Garros on Friday. “At the time, I didn’t know how serious the injury was, so I thought the competition was over for me. I had to wait to get my hope back. I was lucky enough to have several weeks to rejuvenate and repair and have a full training week with the group. Today I am fully capable and ready for this game on Sunday.”
Dupont clarified that his return to play was a carefully managed process and not a rushed decision. “It was quite progressive,” he explained. “I started with low-intensity running and gradually increased it, and the same with contact. I started in the middle of last week. This week I was able to train fully and engage in game and contact situations, which helped rebuild my confidence.”
Regarding his injury, Dupont confirmed that he would wear a scrum cap as suggested by the surgeon. “I tested a scrum cap this week, and it doesn’t bother my vision, so I will be wearing it.”
Facing South Africa, renowned for its physicality, does not concern Dupont. “In these games, there will always be a little bit of physical or mental pain,” he noted. “Every time we play against big nations and when the stakes are high, they are always hard and physical. We need to be ready to suffer.”
Head coach Fabien Galthie expressed his confidence in Dupont’s fitness for the match and emphasized the relaxed approach to his recovery. France has not lost on home soil since 2019 and aims to extend its run by ending the Springboks’ defence of the Webb Ellis Cup.
Galthie said, “For us, what’s at stake is to simply play rugby with pleasure as a team and with ambition. We want to meet this challenge as we always have done.”
The upcoming quarter-final holds significant importance, especially for France, as they host the World Cup for the first time since 2007. With Dupont leading the way, Les Bleus are eager to pursue their dream of securing a third World Cup title.
