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Toulouse President addresses Antoine Dupont's Olympic dream after World Cup

(Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Toulouse President Didier Lacroix has said that France captain Antoine Dupont has a “gigantic, permanent appetite,” which has led the scrum-half to express his desire to represent France Sevens at the Olympic Games next year.

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At the Top 14 champions’ annual conference at the beginning of the season this week, Lacroix addressed the reports that the 2021 World Rugby player of the year wants to switch to the seven-man format of the game after the World Cup next month.

It is not often a player gets to play at a home World Cup, but it is even rarer to play at a home Olympics. It is a tight turnaround, but with Paris hosting the games in 2024, the 26-year-old has an opportunity to do both within the space of eleven months.

“In the case of Antoine Dupont,” Lacroix said. “What seems to me to be gigantic is his permanent appetite. He wants to compete in the Olympic Games and will communicate himself on this subject in the future.”

Dupont’s attention will be firmly on the upcoming World Cup, where his side enter as one of the favourites. But for a player that has won everything the game has to offer except the Webb Ellis Cup, it seems fitting that he will follow in the footsteps of the likes of Sonny Bill Williams and pursue an Olympic Gold a year after the World Cup. After winning the 2015 World Cup with the All Blacks, Williams attempted that feat at the Rio Olympics, but fell short.

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French publication Midi Olympique provided the full response from Lacroix online, where he said Toulouse will not stand in the way of the scrum-half should he pursue his Olympic dream.

He said (translated on Google): “It will not be easy, but it is him who chooses and who remains an actor of his intentions. Depending on his decision, we will have to adapt and this will have an impact on the current season, but also on the year after. Afterwards, of course that I have a concern, since the 2022-23 season was incredibly intense, there was a fairly short break, preparation for the World Cup, a World Cup where everyone will give their all, and behind there will be the Top 14… Concerning Antoine, we will see how to support his desire.”

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J
JW 58 minutes ago
Andy Goode: Aussie comments didn't cover them in glory

Yes I was happy with the refs ruling of arrival (and that the tackled player wasn’t obligated to release the ball immediately) but if you see the wide angle you can note how Morgan dives to get there in time.


I don’t mind your (or the refs) view, but what Morgan said is accurate. Both Mils and Beaver agreed on the breakdown, and you will also get the same view from Aotearoa Rugby Pod guys for a pretty unanimous NZ view.

Sometimes when both players are low its a rugby collision and this is one of those times.

Not recently. In the SR finals and AB v Arg series weve seen players clearly bent 90 at the waist still be penalised, only when the attacker does something the ref sees immediate mitigation and rules a rugby incident. Tizzano didn’t offer that he was always in the position Morgan aimed to collect him in.


Happy to not throw the rule book at these situations but the precent is that they are in these situations.

many tries out wide the player is allowed to be tackled while diving

They are diving for the line, not to avoid being tackled.

“In principle, in a try scoring situation, if the action is deemed to be a dive forward for a try, then it should be permitted. If a player is deemed to have left the ground to avoid a tackle; or to jump, or hurdle a potential tackler, then this is dangerous play and should be sanctioned accordingly.”

You can read Nicks article for an updated discourse on this though.

30 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
New Zealanders may not understand, but in France Test rugby is the 'B movie'

But he was wrong, he had to take back what he said. But maybe this only happened because he came out and was honest with his initial plans?


He’s simply in a position where he should be far more professional.


I don’t really follow much media, especially SM, but again, I’ve not seen anyone complaining. Plenty of ridicule and pointing out things like it being disrespectful to the game, but as far as the English language goes, that’s not complaining. Nick Bishop for instance hasn’t been complaining, he’s simply saying Galthie made a bad decision for France’s prospects (which when the common reply is ‘thats how it is’).


Complaining would be views expressing that the FFR should have put the tour back a week so that all T14 finalists could attend. Complaining would be saying they’ve been robbed of seeing the worlds best stars. Complaining would be saying players can simply take extra weeks off from T14. I’ve only seen advice and suggestions that these are things France need to look-at-for-the-future.


Basically I tried to communicate with French fans because they don’t understand what’s being communicated. ALL reactions I have seen shared here by French supports have all seemed way over the top compared what I’ve seen expressed about this tour.

the players are expected to play in too many matches, for too many minutes, and need more rest and recovery time.

This is the message I have been sharing. So something needs to happen, whether thats France pull out of more Internationals or rest players from more domestic games, who knows, but I also don’t think what they have now is working. It’s obviously much better than 3-4 years ago, but they appear to want to work even harder at it like you say. Personally I’ve only seen LNR be reasonable, I hear much less of their other internationals being denied/influenced not to play, so I imagine that they will give even further (as I can’t really see France pulling out the other international windows as well).

147 Go to comments
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