Antoine Dupont will wear the captain’s armband
on the three meetings of the autumn tour of the XV of France. And it’s not stolen for Anthony Jelonch, his teammate at Stade Toulousain and within the France team, who is also his friend.
“Antoine did not take the big head at all.”
In a press conference, the third line Anthony Jelonch was full of praise for Antoine Dupont: “He fully deserves this place of captain. He is on eight wins in a row, he has never lost as captain. He’s the best player in the world.
This place, he has plenty of shoulders to carry it. He’s a really good captain.” The return of Charles Ollivon after his injury does not threaten for him (nor for Fabien Galthié), the leadership of Antoine Dupont. “It’s good to play with Charles again. He still has this role of leader in the group, even if he is no longer captain”underlines all the same Anthony Jelonch.
Le Gersois and Antoine Dupont have known each other since they were 15; they played together in Auch, then in Castres and lived together for three years.
And Anthony Jelonch ensures that the scrum-half did not take the big head : “Not at all! We all know him (laughs). On the pitch, it doesn’t change him and we know very well the matches he is capable of doing even with a heavy load on his shoulders.”
The composition of the XV of France should be known this Thursday noon for the first match this Saturday against Australia (9 p.m.).
Les Bleus Fall Tour Schedule
- Saturday November 5 at 9 p.m. against Australia at the Stade de France
- Saturday November 12 at 9 p.m. against South Africa in Marseille
- Sunday, November 20 at 2 p.m. against Japan in Toulouse
These three meetings will be broadcast in full on France Bleu Occitanie.