'The Irish go a little too far' - Gibson-Park impresses French, to a point

The French rugby press has lauded Ireland scrumhalf Jamieson Gibson-Park for his standout performances in Leinster’s recent Champions Cup victories over Leicester and La Rochelle – but warn against comparisons with the undisputed darling of Gallic rugby.

While acknowledging Gibson-Park’s impact on the field – one writer hailing him as ‘the new boss of Leinster’ – they caution ‘the Irish’ against hyperbolic comparisons with France superstar Antoine Dupont. It’s simply a step too far.

The New Zealand-born scrum-half has indeed been pivotal in driving Leinster following the retirement of Johnny Sexton, adopting a halfback role more akin to the petit general role favoured by the French.

Nonetheless, French commentators suggest that equating Gibson-Park’s contributions to those of Dupont – widely regarded as one of the world’s best players in any position – might be an exaggeration. Sure, they respect Gibson-Park’s abilities; however, they insist clear distinction must be made between the 32-year-old and their messianic talisman.

“The Irish are surely going a little far when they consider Jamison Gibson-Park as the equal of Antoine Dupont,” wrote Midi Olympique Vincent Bissonnet. “We obviously won’t follow them to the end of their thoughts… However, we won’t push bad faith so far as to refuse to admit that Gibson-Park was excellent on the Aviva pitch, winning his duel against his compatriot Kerr-Barlow…”

The comparison has been made recently in the press, but it wasn’t an Irishman. Retired Wales captain Sam Warburton said of Gibson Park: “If Antoine Dupont wasn’t on this planet, then we’d be saying this guy’s the best No9 in the world by a mile.”

Gibson-Park has held the upper hand over Dupont in recent duels – or at least teams he’s been playing for have. Be it at Test level for Ireland against France or at club level against Toulouse for Leinster, the Great Barrier Island native has won his last four outings against Dupont.

The pair could yet meet again in a Champions Cup final, should Leinster best Northampton at Croke Park and Toulouse make it past the tricky assignment of Harlequins. It’s one hell of a subplot.