France’s rugby icon and team captain, Antoine Dupont, has suffered a ruptured cruciate ligament in his right knee during the Six Nations match against Ireland, thereby ending his stint in this year’s competition. This painful setback occurred after a monumental victory for France, defeating Ireland 42-27 last Saturday. Dupont shared the disheartening news on Instagram, expressing his profound disappointment at being unable to lead his team through to a potential tournament victory in the coming weekend.
Dupont exited the match in the 29th minute when an inward knee buckle led him to limp off the field with medical staff assisting him on both sides. Reflecting on his situation, Dupont wrote, “The heart hurts even more than the knee when you have to leave your teammates before the last step. I am proud of what we accomplished yesterday and with all my strength with you, you will do it. It is the beginning of a new challenge, I will see you in a few months on the pitches.”
France’s coach, Fabien Galthie, emphasized the significance of Dupont’s injury, mentioning that Ireland’s players, Tadhg Beirne and Andrew Porter, were cited for their participation in the incident. Meanwhile, Ireland’s interim coach, Simon Easterby, described it as “just a rugby incident.” Grégory Alldritt, who took over as captain, detailed the team’s emotional reaction, noting how seeing Dupont in tears during halftime was an agonizing experience.
Peato Mauvaka, France’s hooker, revealed that Dupont’s untimely injury served as additional motivation against Ireland, stating, “That’s what we said to each other in the dressing room, that we wanted to win for Antoine. It gave us even more energy.” Looking ahead, France maintains the leading position before concluding their Six Nations journey against Scotland in Paris.
In light of Dupont’s injury, Maxime Lucu filled in impressively against Ireland and appears a likely contender to start against Scotland. Additionally, France has called up the seasoned Baptiste Serin to replace Dupont. Serin, who boasts 46 caps and eight tries for France, also serves as a competent backup kicker for Thomas Ramos.
To further bolster the team, Pierre-Louis Barassi, who suffered a concussion in the second half, is temporarily replaced by youthful talent Fabien Brau-Boirie. At just 19, Brau-Boirie contributed to the France team that made it to the final of the world under-20 rugby championship four consecutive times, ultimately falling to England.
