Genius Dupont ready to lead France at World Cup

Antoine Dupont takes the metro when in Paris and his name is one of the country's most banal but everything else about France's Rugby World Cup captain is exceptional.

The 26-year-old, who already has his wax statue at Paris's Grevin Museum and was named the world's best player in 2021 and this year's best player of the Six Nations, will be Les Bleus' main weapon in their quest for a maiden World Cup title.

All eyes will be on the bullish scrumhalf when they take on fellow favourites New Zealand in the tournament's curtain-raiser at the Stade de France on September 8 and the Toulouse star is likely to deliver.

“The stands are full to watch a player like him. He's French but he's a world class player. He's a little bit like Ronaldo, Mbappe and Messi. If you mix the three of them together, you get Dupont,” La Rochelle manager and ex-Ireland flyhalf Ronan O'Gara said after defeat by Toulouse in a Top 14 semifinal last year.

Dupont's physical power, speed and ability to read the game are unmatched and give France an edge over most of their rivals, even if he will have to make do without his preferred flyhalf Romain Ntamack, who is out of the World Cup with a knee injury.

“I saw right away that he had outstanding abilities. I knew he would not struggle. He was able to run down any forward,” said Serge Milhas, his coach at Castres Olympique, where Dupont started his professional career in 2014.

Dupont is indeed a mercurial attacking line-breaker, but also a ferocious tackler.

A shy character, he completed his transformation into world-class star after joining Toulouse in 2017. It took him only five years to become France's captain, even though Fabien Galthie could have chosen the more experienced Charles Ollivon.

Before a first stint as skipper in 2021 when Charles Ollivon was injured, Galthie said he was confident Dupont had all the required qualities.

“He's a leader in the game, he touches the ball every three to six seconds with big decisions to make,” the ex-France captain said. “He can lead a group of men, he is a team leader.

Former France assistant coach Laurent Labit added: “He doesn't need to talk all the time but one thing is certain — when he speaks, everybody listens.”

And when Dupont plays, everybody watches. 

Reuters

TIMESLIVE WORLD CUP BUILD-UP PROFILES

Pools:

Pool A | Pool B | Pool C | Pool D

Star players:

Selestino Ravutaumada, Fiji | Ardie Savea, New Zealand | Will Skelton, Australia | Johnny Sexton, Ireland | Antoine Dupont, France 

All the World Cup pools and fixtures here