He couldn’t be satisfied with a simple, lackluster return to school. 107 days after his last XV match, Antoine Dupont played 35 minutes and made his comeback with Stade Toulouse with a formidable hat-trick in less than 10 minutes, Saturday evening against Clermont (48-14). A grandiose performance, as the Olympic champion came out of two and a half months of leave full of decompression and discoveries. As if his new life as an international star dubbed by LeBron James and Lionel Messi made him even better.
Sometimes seen in Ibiza on vacation with his 7-a-side Olympic champion friends, in Barcelona for the America’s Cup, in Los Angeles to learn American football then in Miami to meet Lionel Messi, Dupont found his garden and an audience who only had eyes for him. You had to hear the clamor at each of his appearances on the giant screens and his name chanted repeatedly during each of his evening tests.
The scrum half is obviously a prophet in his country, and did not need to win the gold medal at the Olympic Games to realize it. Its new dimension acquired this summer has nevertheless significantly strengthened expectations, as have the recent average results of the Rouge et Noir. Beaten by Bordeaux-Bègles (12-16) then in Castres (23-28), the reigning champion had to reassure himself. He actually didn’t wait for his master to enter before breaking away and was already leading 20-0 at the break.
The Stadium had just lost its opener Romain Ntamack, who was released after having probably been injured in the Achilles tendon (38th). This mishap did not dampen Dupont, impacting from his entry and decisive by picking up the leather at the exit of a ruck to flatten in the goal, in the middle of three stunned defenders (48th). Enough to offer a temporary offensive bonus to his team and, individually, sign a thunderous return. He did it again in the 55th and 58th.
“Starting with a match like that with a lot of desire, it’s nice”
Mass was then said, and the captain of the Blues was not far from the quadruplet on another close start, finally concluded by Thomas Ramos some playing time later (72nd, 46-14). While waiting to possibly be tested in the center, Dupont finished the meeting at the opening, after the exit of Ramos. And thus contributed to the great success of his team, second in the Top 14 behind UBB after six days. “It’s only him who knows how to do it,” smiles his friend Anthony Jelonch at the Canal + microphone. The public was fully behind him. Since he came back, he’s been at full strength. He’s having a very good comeback, he’s doing us good.”
Always as humble, Antoine Dupont described an almost banal performance for an evening marked above all by the joy of finding his team and his audience. “I really enjoyed the holidays but every time I came back to training, I wanted to come back with my friends at the weekend,” he confided to Canal. To start with a match like that with a lot of desire, it’s nice.” Asked about his hat-trick, he tries to downplay the feat. “It’s anecdotal. In my role, I always try to be in the right place at the right time. Sometimes it smiles more than others. It’s not the hardest tests of my career, but it’s 5 points each time. Ange pushes me twice in the end zone, even if he could have done it once more on the last action (smile).”
“He had already scored three tries,” replies Capuozzo. Even if he was still in support, I had to try! (laughs)” The Italian international then sums up the contribution of the best player in the world: “He takes us with him. He is a recurring support as soon as we break, I can testify to that this evening. It does us good.”
Breathtaking for his first of the season, the Toulouse captain should logically see his playing time increase in the coming weeks. Will we see him starting in Pau next Saturday? In any case, he should continue in Béarn then against Toulon on October 27, before joining, barring a last minute problem, the Blues to prepare for the autumn tour. A plan originally conceived as a boost for a player who didn’t really need it.
