Opinion – “Antoine Dupont is Zinedine Zidane”, are we expecting too much from the French scrum-half?

Isn’t that the characteristic of great athletes? Weren’t we waiting for Carl Lewis to erase Bob Beamon’s mark? Don’t we expect Mundo Duplantis to once again beat his own world record? Wouldn’t we almost be disappointed if Novak Djokovic wasn’t going to lift a 25th Grand Slam title?

Each fan always expects more from their favorite athlete, who ultimately has never pushed the limits of his discipline enough. So what to do? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has only crossed the 100-point limit once in the NBA. Usain Bolt only ran the master distance once in 9 seconds 58. Here, there is no question of saying that Antoine Dupont is of this caliber, it is still far too early to, even if it is, than ask the question. However, he too must constantly push the limits of his sport, of his position, at the risk of finding himself at the heart of criticism.

His evil of the century

Son match face au Racing is a symbol of this great evil. Without being flamboyant, Antoine Dupont had a really good match against wind and even storm, as the wind blew so hard in the pink city. However, this was clearly not enough. Many in the Ernest-Wallon bays or behind their TV expected more from the red and black captain. His problem, if it is one, is not having crossed the meadow. No one will ask him to win a 25th Grand Slam, or cross a new bar at 6 meters 24 this time. No, “Toto” must pierce the opposing defense. “When we watch a Toulouse match we always expect Antoine to do something special. He’s like “Zizou”, we hope for something spectacular”, confesses the former French scrum half, Guy Accoceberry. A vision shared by Maxime Médard, former teammate of Dupont. “When you are the best player in the world and perhaps of the decade you are inevitably more exposed. But Antoine, even if he does it very often, cannot cross the pitch in every match.” Crossing the field, he still did it often some time ago, but, it is true, less today.

The main interested party was full of comments before coming up against the Racingmen: “My experience at 7 allowed me to rediscover the dueling game that I had a little more before and that I had neglected a little recently.“ A development which has already operated for the former international in the 1990s. “He has retained some reflexes from his time at 7. We find him as he was at the start.” Yes, Antoine Dupont has penetrated defenses less recently. So what ? Is he, however, a less good rugby player?

The question is not simple, we would first have to define what a good rugby player is. In a sport that is played with 15 men against 15 other men, is it the one who crosses the field the most times alone or the one who weighs the most on the 14 teammates who surround him? If the second option took over, the captain of the under 20 years old will not have known.