Staff Reporter
WINDHOEK, Sept. 22 — France secured a resounding 96-0 win against Namibia in a World Cup Pool A match held in Marseille, showcasing their dominance in every aspect of the game. Despite the impressive victory, the game was marred by a high tackle that led to star scrumhalf Antoine Dupont’s injury, casting doubt on his tournament participation.
During the 46th minute of the match, Namibia’s captain, Johan Deysel, was sent off for a high tackle that left Dupont nursing a potential injury to his right cheekbone. France’s coach, Fabien Galthie, expressed concern about Dupont’s condition, suspecting a maxillary bone fracture, and reported that Dupont was undergoing medical assessment at a hospital.
Despite Dupont’s absence, France continued their dominance and scored an additional eight tries in the second half. Damian Penaud shone with a remarkable hat-trick of tries, while Louis Bielle-Biarrey contributed two tries, and Baptiste Couilloud, Melvyn Jaminet, and a penalty try also added to the impressive tally. Thomas Ramos successfully converted 12 of France’s 14 tries, marking a historic night for the host nation.
The victory secured by France marked their largest-ever win at a World Cup and their 17th consecutive victory on home turf. However, this triumphant performance came at a cost, as Dupont’s injury posed a significant setback to France’s World Cup aspirations.
With 13 points from their three Pool A games, France currently leads the pool, three points ahead of second-placed Italy. France’s final pool match will be against Italy on October 6. On the other hand, Namibia, having suffered defeat in all three of their pool matches, faces elimination from the tournament.
