Why playing without Antoine Dupont is 'easier' for Matthieu Jalibert

No team or coach would want to play without Antoine Dupont. Let's make that clear. But of all the players in the France squad that might actually find it slightly easier now that their captain and arguably the best player in the world is injured, it is fly-half Matthieu Jalibert.

France will go into their final pool stage match against Italy in Lyon on Friday without their talisman as he continues to recover from his broken cheekbone. That opens the door for Bordeaux-Begles' Maxime Lucu to step up as the first-choice scrum-half if only for a week before Dupont potentially returns for the quarter-finals. The benefit for France and Lucu is that he will be partnering his club teammate Jalibert.

When asked about the prospect of partnering Lucu this week in blue, the 24-year-old actually said it will be 'easier', as he went on to explain what his clubmate will bring to Les Bleus.

“The team hasn’t been announced yet but if I’m to play with Max, it’s going to be easier because we play together all year-long [at Union Bordeaux-Bègles]," he said.

"If I had to single out one quality, it would be his leadership. And the way he handles the link between the forwards and the backs, his kicking game and his excellent defensive skills. That’s all I can say, he’ll give me a tenner later (laughing).

“He is very calm. Max is a hard-worker, he’s down to earth so I don’t think that Antoine injury put him into doubt. He’s been in the squad for four years now, he’s familiar with the system. He’s ready to do the job as a scrum-half.”

The partnership of Lucu and Jalibert is not Fabien Galthie's first choice in either position, but after Dupont's Toulouse teammate Romain Ntamack suffered an ACL injury just before the World Cup, Jalibert is the No10 France hope will steer them to the Webb Ellis Cup at the end of the month.

When asked what how he feels being France's starting fly-half now, he said: “We’ve been working with the same group for four years. I’ve started some games so it was a natural process.

“This gave me more responsibilities. This gave me more confidence and importance in the team to raise my voice.”