Antoine Dupont still remains below Jonah Lomu

Who is the best rugby player of all time? When answering this question, it is difficult not to think of Jonah Lomu, the New Zealand tornado which swept across the oval planet in the 1990s. On the occasion of the broadcast of a documentary on the colossus of the All Blacks, Brian O'Driscoll praised the man who left far too early, at 40, in 2015.

“I was lucky – or rather unlucky – to be able to play against him three times, says the former Irish international. The first time, New Zealand launched an action that I had seen coming: the 10 for the 12, then behind 13 for Jonah. I knew this was going to happen. And I did my best, I really did. But I was nothing more than a speed bump in his path. »

Dupont comes close, but…

“He was different from anything we had seen before 1995 and I don’t know if we will ever see anyone make such a difference in the sport”added Brian O'Driscoll. Rugby has never seen such a dominant player since although a contender has emerged in recent years, and impresses with his mastery of the game, and his ability to beat his opponents in several different ways.

It is also O'Driscoll himself who mentions his name:
« Antoine Dupont is probably trying to break all of this”confides the Irishman, who however leaves Lomu at the top. « AfterFor me, Jonah Lomu was just a different level. Someone who was a god in sports. He brought something totally different that the game had never seen before. »