French and European champions Toulouse will field a full-strength squad on their trip to South Africa to face Sharks of Durban after fielding a young side following last week’s 22-19 loss to La Rochelle..
One of the men included in the traveling squad is scrumhalf Antoine Dupont. He is a world-renowned scrum-half who is rated as one of the best in the world.
A team playing their strongest team is not usually a newsworthy feat, but in this case it would mark only Dupont’s second appearance in the Southern Hemisphere.
The French team’s Test debut in 2017 took place at Durban’s Kings Park against South Africa, the same stadium where Saturday’s match will be played.
Those 27 minutes played on his debut were the only time he played for the South so far.
The main reason for this is his status as a premium French international, which grants him certain privileges when it comes to downtime.
The deal means the French Rugby Union and LNR agree to allow players more holidays and not require them to play for touring teams.
World Cup Impact
Antoine has traveled outside of Europe since playing in the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.
It was not a successful campaign for Les Bleus. Wales knocked them out of the quarter-finals thanks to a late try from Ross Moriarty and a Dan Biggar conversion.
This could be his last game outside of Europe until the 2027 World Cup in Australia, and due to the nature of the game, Toulouse rarely field South African teams away in European competitions.
France have already announced that their second-team squad will embark on a summer tour of New Zealand this year.
Failure to qualify for the next World Cup could raise questions about France’s preparations and the LNR contract. This is because if players are inexperienced with the southern hemisphere’s climate and style of play, they may be underprepared for the competition.
goat discussion
This raises questions about Dupont’s potential status as the all-time great. His qualities are clear for all to see, but his ability to be adaptable and perform in a variety of conditions is a key factor in the GOAT debate.
Players who have experience playing in different leagues/continents and maintain a high level will be evaluated more favorably. This is why South African fans, in particular, describe Dupont as ‘the best in Europe but the best in the world’.
Some might think his lack of international success doesn’t matter, as he has led his country to a Six Nations title and won seven consecutive gold medals at the Olympics.
His win at the Sevens is the only time he has won an outright global tournament, and compared to other tournaments in the GOAT debate his success has been limited, with some even dismissing it as being in other codes of rugby.
Facing the Sharks is a unique opportunity for the Frenchman to silence his critics. His outstanding France and Toulouse performances are something he has not been able to do so far as the lack of Southern Hemisphere rugby hangs over his head.
After a perfect start to their Champions Cup campaign, a win would see the Champions Cup holders secure a top two spot in Pool 1 and a home tie in the next round.
Temperatures in Durban are expected to be below 30 degrees Celsius on Saturday, a far cry from the 11 degrees Celsius in Dupont’s hometown of Toulouse due to high humidity. The change in weather presents a challenge for the Toulouse men, with the possibility of a quieter scrum-half outing than usual.
More from Charlie Elliott: Scrumhalf Ange Capuozzo: Is the bench set to change forever?
