The love story between Antoine Dupont and Stade Toulousain could have started much earlier. In 2017, the scrum half decided to join the red and black club despite the sporting difficulties of the moment, coming from Castres, where he had taken his first steps as a professional. Supporter of the Pink City team since a young age, the phenomenon nevertheless went under the radar of recruiters. Michel Marfaing, director of the training center, nevertheless reveals that he wanted to hire him in 2013, while he was playing with Auch. In the columns of The Teamthe former winger detailed how the poor functioning of Stade Toulousain had cost this signing.
“We had the balls”
“Like every Wednesday afternoon, I went to lead a kicking session at the Espoirs Jolimont center in Toulouse. And there, I see a 16 or 17 year old kid who arrives without warming up, who puts the ball 50 or 55 meters from the poles and who takes penalties. I ask who it is, and I am told that his name is Antoine Dupont, that he is a very good player, very strong. At the end, I see the kid to ask him if he would be interested in playing at Stade Toulousain and he tells me that he has dreamed of it since he was little. I go back to the club, I see the president (René Bouscatel), the manager (Guy Novès), and I tell them that there is a phenomenon in Auch that we must recover immediately. At the time, unfortunately, we were not organized as we are now, so much so that it was one of the leaders of the Stade Toulousain Rugby Association who called the Dupont hotel-restaurant run by the grandparents of “Toto “, and that things had dragged on. Castres were much better than us, especially Serge Milhas, the co-coach at the time, who quickly showed him around the club facilities. So the kid felt that there was an opening with the CO and not with us, and he left there. We were upset, I can tell you that. »
However, the two parties eventually found each other. A no-brainer for Clément Dupont, his older brother: “He knew he would go there one day. And it happened the season where Toulouse was really lousy. He notably took 52-7 at Castres on the penultimate day of the Championship. I remember it, I was at the match. And Antoine still decides to sign there…” A proof of the player's confidence and foresight. Since then, Antoine Dupont has helped bring back four Brennus Shields and two Champions Cups, with the Toulouse golden generation.
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To summarize
Michel Marfaing revealed in the columns of L'Equipe that Stade Toulousain had been beaten by Castres to recover Antoine Dupont when he played in Auch. The director of the red and black training center regretted a lack of clarity in the recruitment system.
