Dupont, Ntamack and the whole clique: The probable composition of Stade Toulousain to challenge the Etzebeth Sharks

It is with all its armada that Stade Toulousain flew this Sunday evening from France to South Africa. Arriving Monday morning, the Hauts-Garonnais will have 5 days in total to recover from their long journey and acclimatize to East South Africa, and its current average of 25 degrees.

There remain only 23 players who appeared in La Rochelle last Saturday evening, so there should only be a small handful left to appear this weekend against the Sharks. A team swollen with Springboks including Esterhuizen, Mapimpi, Williams, Kolisi, Fassi and last but not least, Eben Etzebeth.

Capuozzo, Jelonch and Marchand, on the bench at Deflandre, are therefore claiming a place in the 23 this Saturday at 4:15 p.m. Elsewhere, Captain Dupont will be back and associated with his sidekick Romain Ntamack.

Absent since October, when will we see Antoine Dupont again on the pitches of the Top 14?

Naturally, Flament, Meafou, Willis, Roumat, Ahki, Ramos and others, who were rested last weekend, should also start. Even if in the rear triangle and in the center, like every weekend, places are expensive.

So, it is difficult to say which of Kinghorn, Mallia, Capuozzo or Lebel will be removed from the match sheet at the last moment, as the Toulouse group rotates every weekend. But one thing is certain: there will not be room for everyone.

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A team significantly close to the one that challenged the Sharks in April 2023 in Toulouse, therefore, since only 2 to 3 changes, most of them due to injury, are expected. With the same result in the end?