By Joël Pütz | Sports journalist
Unstoppable on the Rugby fields, Antoine Dupont is perhaps the greatest representative of his discipline today. Legend of the oval ball in France, Bernard Laporte did not mince his words about the Toulouse player a few years ago.
Now 28 years old, what does Antoine Dupont still have to prove? A priori not much as the star of Stade Toulousain has been destroying the competition for years. Four times French champion, best player in the world in rugby union in 2021 then in its sevens variant in 2024, winner of the Six Nations Tournament in 2022, Olympic champion in Paris this summer… The Frenchman's track record is incredible.
Unsurprisingly, many observers and players of the oval ball shower him with praise, or even consider him the future GOAT of the discipline for some. For his part, Bernard Laporte has in any case clearly been one of his admirers for years. The rugby legend did not mince his words about Dupont from 2022, during an interview with the site Rugby Rama :
Icon of the Toulon rival, Bernard Laporte amazed by Antoine Dupont
Antoine is a monster in our game. There isn't one every year. He is always there when he needs to be. He's a champion. The champion is the one who decides. And Antoine decides. He is always decisive. You feel like he's the natural boss of this team. His partners look at him like a boss. Antoine doesn't talk much, doesn't often bang his fist on the table, but with a look, a word… He just has to frown to make himself understood.
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Football had “Zizou”, Karabatic handball, we have Dupont. He is THE boss of this team. He reminds me so much of someone who was important to me, who is Jacques Fouroux. They both wore the colors of FC Auch. He is his natural descendant. The others laugh at him and are ready to go to the ends of the world with him. End of discussion.
We will still remember that Laporte is a legend of RC Toulon, one of Toulouse's biggest historical rivals. That he makes such comments about the native of Lannemezan is therefore particularly symbolic… The former president of the French rugby federation had also added a layer about him a few months later, after the 2023 Six Nations Tournament :
I sent text messages during the Tournament, especially to Antoine. (…) I even recently admitted to Didier Lacroix (president of the club) that his players ended up making me love Stade Toulousain. It's terrible, isn't it? But I have so much admiration for Antoine, Romain (Ntamack), Julien (Marchand), Cyril (Baille) and François (Cros)!
As an icon of RC Toulon, Bernard Laporte theoretically could never have kneeled like this in front of a player from Stade Toulousain. This says a lot about the incredible level of Antoine Dupont, whom the former coach of the French XV adores.
