France Captain Antoine Dupont Makes Honest Admission Ahead of Springboks Test
- France captain Antoine Dupont admitted the Springboks have developed into a formidable side with a clear and effective game plan
- Dupont will wear the unfamiliar No 10 jersey on Friday due to a spate of flyhalf injuries in the French squad
- France have lost nine of their last 10 Tests against South Africa, including a painful 2023 World Cup quarter-final exit on home soil
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Source: Getty Images
Antoine Dupont knows the numbers are not on his side. The France captain has been part of five losses in six matches against South Africa, and Friday night's Nations Championship Test at the Stade de France offers yet another chance to change that painful story.
The two nations meet again in Paris, and the pressure on the hosts to perform has never felt heavier. France have suffered nine defeats in their last ten encounters with the Springboks — a record that includes last year's loss at the same venue. South Africa won 32-17 despite finishing the entire second half with 14 men after lock Lood de Jager was red-carded just before the break.
Dupont calls for a moment of magic
The 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final, played on French soil, still stings. Dupont was there for that too, watching his country's tournament dreams end against the eventual world champions. He understands better than most what France are up against.
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"I've played against them in different contexts, but recently they have had a lot of bulk and a very clear and effective strategy," Dupont said ahead of Friday's clash.
He did not sugarcoat the situation. Breaking out of this losing pattern will demand something special from his side.
"We have to pull out the right match at the right time to get out of this spiral," he said, according to SA Rugby Magazine.
France have nothing to lose
Adding to France's challenges is a string of injuries to their flyhalves. Dupont, usually at scrum-half, will switch to the unfamiliar No. 10 role for the Test, a shift that underlines how stretched the squad is.
Despite the injury concerns, Dupont is refusing to let France approach the match without belief. He acknowledged South Africa's status as favourites while insisting his team remain capable of upsetting anyone.
"We will have to surprise ourselves and them. We're not in the most favourable situation but we have nothing to lose," he said. "We have to play without complex."
It is the kind of defiant spirit France will need in abundance if they are to finally end one of international rugby's most one-sided recent rivalries.
Source: Getty Images
Malcolm Marx revisits France's painful 2023 World Cup defeat
Briefly News previously reported that Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx believes France could still be carrying emotional scars from their heartbreaking 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final defeat to South Africa.
Assistant coach Felix Jones also weighed in on the lingering rivalry, suggesting that the memories of that encounter could still influence the intensity of Friday's showdown.
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Source: Briefly News
