During a press conference this Monday, Arthur Vincent suggested that Antoine Dupont, uncertain for the rest of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, should soon be back in the French group.
It’s a big blow for the Blues. Despite the historic victory won by the XV of France against Namibia (96-0), last Thursday at the Vélodrome stadium, all eyes were on Antoine Dupont, forced to give up his place at the start of the second act after being hit in the face. Operated the day after a maxillo-zygomatic fracture, the Toulouse scrum-half must now wait before knowing if he will be able to make his appearance again in the tournament.
While it is said that a return of the captain of the XV of France is possible for the quarter-finals, Arthur Vincentinvited to the media this Monday, spoke about the injury ofAntoine Dupont. “It’s obviously a hard blow when a player gets injured, especially since Antoine is our captain and the best player in the world, he indicated. We support him, we think of him a lot. Unfortunately, we have already been faced with this kind of situation. We have a united group, we have this experience and we continue to keep our objectives. We hope he will join us very soon. We think of him. We had these three days off, so now we are focusing on the next match against Italy. But it was certainly a special evening between the euphoria of the victory and the worry for Antoine. »
“He will be with us soon”
“Who to take leadership (in the absence of Antoine Dupont)? Things happen naturally, Vincent added. There is not just one captain, but a group of leaders, each of whom knows their role, who have been doing their part for four years. There will be no big change. Everyone will take their responsibilities. But Antoine’s return to the group is important. He will be with us soon. » An announcement that will please French supporters, who have been worried since Thursday evening.
Same story for Reda Wardiwho wants to be optimistic about a return of his captain for the quarter-finals. “All the players check in on Antoine on an individual basis. Personally, I have. The group hopes that they will be able to join us quickly, he confided. Like any other player in the group, it doesn’t please when a player gets injured at this stage of the World Cup. Everyone has been working for two and a half months, so seeing a player with this quality get injured, especially with the qualities and importance of Antoine, is not happy news. He told us he was doing pretty well, so that’s positive. »
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