Paul Rouget, Media365: published on Friday June 28, 2024 at 7:59 p.m.
While Marseille hosts the Top 14 final between Stade Toulousain and Union Bordeaux Bègles, Antoine Dupont does not have “good memories” of the Orange Vélodrome…
If some, like Maxime Lucu, OM fan, are delighted to go and play in Marseille, which is hosting the Top 14 final for the first time on Friday evening (9 p.m.), between Stade Toulousain and Union Bordeaux Bègles, others are perhaps a little less enthusiastic about the idea of going to play at the Orange Vélodrome. This is the case of Antoine Dupont, who has not only had good times in the Marseille stadium.. In November 2022, during a test match against South Africa, he received, for the first time in his career, a red card, following a collision with Cheslin Kolbe.
The World Cup Fracture
It was also at the “Vél” that he experienced one of his worst moments with the French XV, during the third group match of the last World Cup, against Namibia. In the 46th minute of this match played on September 8, 2023, he had suffered a maxillo-zygomatic fracture following a head-to-head collision with the opposing captain, Johan Deysel. Having undergone surgery, he was only able to make his comeback during the quarter-final lost to the future South African winner.
“Not really good memories”
“Thank you for reminding me,” he replied with a laugh on Friday at a press conference when he was questioned on the subject. It’s true that it doesn’t really bring back good memories for me to see the exit by which I left the stadium a few months ago. But it was a completely different context. We must try to ignore all that, all superstition, and just concentrate on what is our responsibility tomorrow (Friday). About what we can control, what we can still adjust, and enjoying living these moments. There will be an incredible atmosphere, in a stadium that makes a lot of noise. It’s up to us to take advantage of all this and try to extract the best from it.” And we can trust him…
