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Footage emerges of Antoine Dupont training in France
By Ian Cameron
Antoine Dupont has returned to France training after undergoing surgery for a facial fracture sustained during a Rugby World Cup match against Namibia. The 26-year-old scrum-half's injury had cast doubt on his availability for the remainder of the tournament, but his swift recovery has given Les Bleus a reason to be optimistic.
Dupont, a pivotal figure for the French team, was forced to leave the field in the 46th minute of their dominant 96-0 victory over Namibia following a head-on-head tackle by opposition captain Johan Deysel, who was subsequently handed a five-match ban for the dangerous tackle.
The French Rugby Federation (FFR) officially confirmed Dupont's return, stating that he has received medical clearance to resume physical activity under the supervision of the national team's medical staff. This news comes just in time for France's final Pool A match against Italy, scheduled for Friday, with the quarter-finals looming on the horizon for the weekend of October 14-15.
Despite initial concerns, France's assistant coach William Servat expressed confidence in Dupont's availability for the quarter-finals, setting the stage for a potential clash with formidable opponents like South Africa, Ireland, or Scotland.
Dupont's remarkable recovery and return to training have injected fresh hope and excitement into the French camp as they look to build on their impressive performances in the tournament, including victories over rugby giants like New Zealand. Bordeaux's Maxime Lucu is expected to deputize in Lyon for the Italian match, but the prospect of Dupont's return to the field will undoubtedly boost France's World Cup aspirations.
French rugby enthusiasts can now look forward to witnessing the dynamic playmaker back in action, adding another layer of intrigue to what promises to be an enthralling Rugby World Cup campaign for Les Bleus.
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Latest Comments
Very naughty boy!
Go to comments"Interestingly its you who now seem to be renouncing the UEFA style points system, because you don't like the outcome of reducing URC representation."
No, as I have clearly written and no need to be a "mind reader" this time, I don't like the outcome that half of the teams will be from Top14...
"What about 4 each + 4 to the best performing teams in last years competition not to have otherwise qualified?"
Because I don't think that having the possibility of a team finishing outside the quarter finals to qualify automatically will be a good idea. I'd rather have a team finishing 5th in their domestic league.
"Or what about a UEFA style system where places are allocated to leagues on the basis of their performance in previous years' competitions?"
You mean like the option I suggested like 3 times now? 😜 That will lead to have half of team from top14 and the end of the tournament.
"There's no point including Black Lion if they're just going to get whitewashed every year"
I genuinely disagree with that. I do think it's a decent team and are not doing too badly in the challenge cup.
"Maybe the best placed non-Israeli team and the Russian winners could play off every year for the spot?"
Based on the current geopolitics I won't bet on this happening anytime soon 😉
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