PARIS — Antoine Dupont marked his return as captain in style, as France delivered a dominating performance against Japan, winning 52-12 on Saturday. The match, held at Stade de France, showcased an impressive eight-try display from the French side, with left winger Louis Bielle-Biarre scoring twice in a completely one-sided opening half, while replacement flanker Paul Boudehent added two more tries in the second half.
Dupont, returning to the traditional format of rugby in the same stadium where he helped France clinch a gold medal in sevens at the recent Paris Olympics, enjoyed the resurgence of his team, despite having faced disappointment last year when France narrowly lost to South Africa by a single point in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals. Japan’s squad, led by Eddie Jones, struggled to mount any meaningful challenge throughout the match.
Following Bielle-Biarre’s opening try, which went unconverted, Dupont exhibited remarkable skill, executing a clever pass to No. 8 Grégory Alldritt during a counter-ruck. Alldritt then set up flyhalf Thomas Ramos, whose kick assisted center Émilien Gailleton in converting another try to make it 12-0. France was poised to score several more before halftime, with flanker Alexandre Roumat earning his first international try after receiving a pass from Bielle-Biarre.
Bielle-Biarre soon crossed over for his second try, and hooker Peato Mauvaka crashed over as well, marking his 10th try for the national team. The French continued their onslaught with prop Jean-Baptiste Gros contributing the sixth try early in the second half, which Ramos successfully converted, leaving Japan reeling at 38-0 with plenty of time still remaining on the clock.
After a Dupont try was disallowed due to a knock-on from right winger Théo Attissogbe, Japan finally managed to score when Harumichi Tatekawa crossed the line for a converted try. They added another through Tevita Tatafu when he intercepted a careless pass from Matthieu Jalibert and sprinted into the left corner, despite Bielle-Biarre’s desperate tackle. In between Japan’s two tries, Boudehent scored twice, further extending the lead for France.
Just under two hours before the match began, the French Rugby Federation revealed that star winger Damian Penaud, who holds the record for most tries for France with 36, would not take part in the game, with Attissogbe stepping in to fill his position. No explanation was provided regarding Penaud’s absence.