Toulouse: Dupont at the opening?

Paul Rouget, Media365: published on Wednesday October 16, 2024 at 10:53 a.m.

In the absence of Romain Ntamack and Thomas Ramos, Antoine Dupont could play at the opening on Saturday evening when Stade Toulousain travels to Pau, even if Juan-Cruz Mallia and even Blair Kinghorn can also help out in 10.

A week after making his comeback to competition during Stade Toulousain’s victory against Clermont (48-14), Antoine Dupont, entered in the second half and author of three tries in ten minutes, should start on Saturday evening (9:05 p.m.) at Pau, where the French and European champions are traveling as part of the 7th day of Top 14. But the 27-year-old scrum half, who benefited from an extended vacation after his gold medal won with the team of France rugby sevens, could play at the opening at the Hameau stadium. And this is because Romain Ntamack injured his calf against Clermont while Thomas Ramos, victim of a blow to the hand but who could probably have played, is left to rest for this trip to the Pyrénées-Atlantiques.

“He can carry a lot of things.”

To replace them at the opening, Ugo Mola has several solutions, with the Argentinian Juan-Cruz Mallia, who has already played in this position, with success, under the jersey of the Haut-Garonnais club, but also the Scotsman Blair Kinghorn, often used in 10 with his selection or Edinburgh, but never in Toulouse. And so there is the Dupont solution. “Antoine, I like it when people explain to me that he’s the best 9 but he’s not bad at 10 either,” Mola confided last year, recalls La Dépêche. A fly-half position in which the captain of the XV of France often played at club level, and during his training. With undeniable qualities. “We already know the player’s dynamism. He also has this vision, this adaptation, this ability to read situations quickly. Individually, he can break, he is strong on impacts. He has speed, support, he is creative “He can take a lot of things,” confided Régis Sonnes, then a coach specializing in the defense and conquest sector at Stade Toulousain, in 2018. Predispositions confirmed by Dupont since. And again on Saturday evening?