Watch - Antoine Dupont elbowed in face in return to Top 14

France star Antoine Dupont got an unruly welcome back to the Top 14 when he received an elbow to the face in his first game for Toulouse since the Rugby World Cup.

Dupont, who infamously suffered facial injuries against Namibia during the Rugby World Cup, entered the field during the second half, replacing Thomas Ramos, who had sustained a leg injury.

Despite Stade Toulousain leading 43-20, the match took an unsavoury turn when Dupont, on the field for less than a quarter of an hour, became the target of a forceful elbow delivered by Perpignan’s Alivereti Duguivalu, who had carried the ball into contact.

The impact struck Dupont – Duguivalu’s would-be tackler – in the face, causing a momentary collapse.

Thankfully, the injury was deemed not serious after initial assessments.

Duguivalu, the Fijian centre from Perpignan, received a yellow card for his troubles, as it was deemed to be a moderate level of danger. While the clash did not result in a fresh facial injury for Dupont, it was a certainly moment of concern for both the spectators at the stadium and those watching the game on television.

Carton jaune pour Duguivalu ! 🟨

Le perpignanais est coupable d’un coude dans la tête d’Antoine Dupont.

Ça nous rappelle des mauvais souvenirs… 😬 #STUSAP #TOP14 #Rugby #StadeToulousain #USAP #RugbyXV pic.twitter.com/5oqlIjc5sM

— Le Top14 Pas Officiel (@Top14PasOff_Bis) November 11, 2023

Stade Toulousain ultimately secured the victory with a final score of 43-20.

After the game Dupont spoke about his return and his facial injury and how the press had been inaccurate about the nature of the fracture: “It’s always nice to come back when we leave for international periods,” said Dupont. “This one was even longer and there were things to evacuate. It feels good to be back with the group, to get back into club life and to re-train and then play again. I read a lot of things that weren’t proven. I don’t know why it was said like that. But my healing period was over so I was able to resume normally like all my teammates to be able to apply and be in the group this weekend.”