Antoine Dupont pays Scotland genuinely big compliment on eve of Murrayfield clash

Antoine Dupont insisted France must focus solely on defeating Scotland and not become fixated on securing the Guinness Six Nations title at Murrayfield on Saturday.

Les Bleus have won all three of their matches so far and will seal back-to-back championship triumphs with a game to spare if they earn a bonus-point win in Edinburgh.

If they do not land the title this weekend, they will have another opportunity against England in Paris next Saturday.

“It’s important to win competitions when you’re in a position to win them,” said captain Dupont at his eve-of-match press conference at Murrayfield.

“Obviously, for many reasons, it will be more than positive to win this tournament, but we still have two games to play and today we’re far from it.

Six Nations

P

W

L

D

PF

PA

PD

BP T

BP-7

BP

Total

1

France

3

3

0

0

15

2

Scotland

3

2

1

0

11

3

Ireland

3

2

1

0

9

4

England

3

1

2

0

5

5

Italy

3

1

2

0

5

6

Wales

3

0

3

0

1

“The goal is to win the match. We know how difficult it is to win here. We don’t need to talk about the quality of the Scottish team, especially since the beginning of this tournament.

“Our main focus is here for the moment. We will have time to see what happens next.”

France won last year’s championship – their first title since 2022 – by defeating Scotland in the final match of the tournament amid raucous scenes inside Stade de France.

They will be backed by around 15,000 of their supporters at Murrayfield this weekend.

“It motivates us to know that we will have this support during the match,” said scrum-half Dupont. “It gives us energy when we are on the pitch and I think we will need it tomorrow.

“It’s true that we have a little re-launched the enthusiasm of the French public for the French team a few years ago. It has increased gradually and today we have reached new heights, so it obviously makes us very proud to feel so supported.

“We want to meet the expectations of the people.”

Dupont said that Scotland had “surely the most dangerous attack” in the championship and he is hoping the two sides, renowned for playing running rugby, can put on a spectacle.

“I hope that there will be a show, but it is important that we do not lose the focus of winning the match,” said the Toulouse star. “But if there can be both, it is obviously all the better.

“We have the keys to compete with Scotland, but we will have to be at the maximum of our concentration and intensity to be able to compete.”