France captain Antoine Dupont looks set to add to his only appearance in the southern hemisphere as Toulouse prepare to face South Africa.
The French giants will take on the Durban-based Sharks on matchday three of the Investec Champions Cup next Saturday, promising a gripping clash.
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Toulouse boasts many top French internationals among its ranks, such as Dupont, Thomas Ramos, Peato Mauvaka, Emmanuel Meafou, François Cros and Romain Ntamack, to name just a few.
However, these stars were rested this weekend in the Top 14 for the trip to La Rochelle where they took on Ronan O’Gara’s side – indicating they will all be back on the pitch this week next.
This match will not only mark the first such rematch between France and the Springboks since the Rugby World Cup, but it is also expected to be the second time Dupont will play outside of Europe and Japan.
The brilliant scrum-half made his Test debut for France in 2017, coming on as a substitute in the 37-15 defeat to the Springboks, coinciding with a match at Kings Park Stadium in Durban, the Sharks’ home base.
Those 27 minutes against the Boks remain the only time Dupont played in the southern hemisphere, with the 2019 World Cup being the only other occasion he played outside Europe, having missed France’s mid-year tours in Australia, Argentina and New Zealand previously.
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Unless the Investec Champions Cup matches play out in a similar fashion this season or next, Dupont is unlikely to spend any more time in the southern hemisphere after next weekend until the World Cup of Rugby 2027 in Australia.
This is because he is a leading international player, and according to an agreement with the French Rugby Federation and the LNR – the governing body of French rugby clubs – he will be sidelined during the series of Les Bleus tests against the All Blacks in New Zealand next year.
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Toulouse lets go of the young people
In order to have his best stars ready for the third round of the Champions Cup, Toulouse coach Ugo Mola has fielded a very young team against La Rochelle.
Prop Cyril Baillie, flanker Anthony Jelonch and hooker Julien Marchand were the only regular French internationals to feature in the squad of 23, with the former making a much-anticipated return from injury.
According to the French media Rugby Ramathe average age of the team is 22.4 years old, with four players making their professional debuts. Eight of the 23 players are 20 years old or younger, while the starting team has an average age of 21.6.
Additionally, prop Baillie has made 197 appearances for Toulouse during his career, while the other players in the starting team have a total of just 216 caps for the club.
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