Antoine Dupont was crowned the Top 14 Player of the Year at a glittering awards ceremony in Paris on Monday. It was the second time in three seasons that the Toulouse scrum-half has been awarded the honour, but there were a few in France a little surprised that Gregory Alldritt, the La Rochelle N0 8, didn’t pick up the gong given his outstanding performances last season.
But Dupont is the face of French rugby, and no longer just of the 15-a-side game. After winning his Top 14 accolade, the France captain confirmed to the media that he will be forsaking the 2024 Six Nations in favour of playing Sevens, a move that he hopes will culminate in his bagging a medal in next summer’s Paris Olympics.
One wonders what the squad feels about their captain jetting off to Vancouver and Los Angeles in February and March to play Sevens. There may also be mutterings within the Sevens squad with the regulars wondering who will be sacrificed for Dupont. Someone is set for crushing disappointment.
Toulouse won’t miss out that much as Dupont will be away for only February and March, as he would have been had he played in the Six Nations. There is a difference, however, in his absence, one that might have ramifications for Toulouse in the business end of the season.
I think he’ll put an end to the debate in his first few tournaments. He’s the best player in the world and he’ll earn his place
Dupont is giving himself two months, then returning to the Top 14, before rejoining the France 7s squad in June for the Olympic Games the following month in Paris.
Nonetheless, Bonnefond understands the reasoning behind Dupont’s move, which has the support of the French Rugby Federation (FFR). “If [France] had won tournaments, we might have asked ourselves why bring in new players,” explained Bonnefond. “That’s where Antoine Dupont can add a lot of value. There are not 50 Antoine Duponts in the world, and I think he’ll put an end to the debate in his first few tournaments. He’s the best player in the world and he’ll earn his place.”
It’s not hard to picture the impact Dupont could have in the Sevens, bringing to bear his vision, precision, inventiveness and blistering acceleration. Few in France think he’ll flop in the shorter format, but it’s the principle that has upset some within the sport.
“I understand what the Olympics can do for rugby but not playing in the Six Nations, that’s tough,” said the former France hooker Vincent Moscato on his weekly radio rugby show. “The Six Nations is sacred. Rugby was invented for this competition.”
Another former French international, Denis Charvet, also described the Six Nations as “sacred” and focused his ire on the FFR for agreeing to Dupont’s switch. “The Olympic Games are magnificent…but rugby at the Olympics is not the 100m. It doesn’t resonate in the same way. He’s taking a huge risk.”
In Charvet’s view, the French squad has little chance of winning an Olympic medal, certainly not gold, and so what’s the point when he could be inspiring France to a Six Nations Grand Slam. “We need Antoine Dupont, it’s not the same French team without him.”
When Britain hosted the 2012 Olympics they won a record 65 medals, including 29 golds, and France fear that in contrast they could be humiliated next summer.
President Emmanuel Macron is pals with Dupont – the latter publicly supported him in last year’s election – and one may wonder if the president has had a word behind the scenes to encourage the scrum-half to make the switch.
Dupont will certainly put bums on seats next summer, and not just Gallic derrieres. He’s box-office, a once-in-a-generation talent who rugby fans want to see in the flesh. It’s rumoured in the French media that other Les Bleus stars may follow, notably Arthur Vincent, Sekou Macalou and Damian Penaud. Would that be wise? One defection is tolerable; four would anger Galthie and the Sevens squad, who have dreamed of playing in front of their home crowd for years.
It would be churlish to begrudge Dupont his decision. He has never given anything less than 100 per cent for his club and country in recent seasons, and if he can pull off a minor miracle and get France onto the podium next summer, who in France will care if he missed one Six Nations campaign?
A break from the club and country treadmill might do Dupont some good and allow him to return next season fitter, healthier and stronger, to paraphrase the Olympic motto.
It may also do him some good. Dupont seems to have taken France’s World Cup heartbreak harder than most. That’s not surprising. He was the captain, the figurehead, the man whom the country had been led to believe by a partisan press would lift the Webb Ellis Cup on 28 October.
Dupont may have bought into the hype and the deflation he feels has been evident in his recent performances for Toulouse. The spark isn’t there. He looks flat, even a little disillusioned.
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