He made his return this Thursday, September 21, 2023 during the third match of the group stage of the Rugby World Cup against Namibia. The party could have been grandiose, in particular because of his return, but also because of the record score inflicted by the XV of France on their opponents of the evening. However, Anthony Dupontthe captain of the French team, had to leave his teammates in the 46th minute of play after a violent clash with Johan Deysel, the opposing captain.
The diagnosis ? A maxillozygomatic fracture. The maxillary bone is found in the jaw and the zygomatic bone is located higher up at the cheekbone. Despite this divide, the Blues staff affirmed this Friday thatAnthony Dupont
would remain in the group and could even make a return later in the competition if France continues its adventure. The French Rugby Federation also indicated: “Specialized surgical advice was requested to precisely define the duration of unavailability.”
Also see: Antoine Dupont: the state of health of the captain of the Blues does not bode well!
Antoine Dupont absent for the rest of the World Cup, two names keep coming back to replace him
However, it will be necessary to do withoutAnthony Dupont for the next matches until a possible return to the semi-final. As a result, Fabien Galthié will have to find a replacement for him, and two players could fill this role, according to our colleagues at West France
: Maxime Lucu and Baptiste Couilloud.
The first seems to be the most logical choice, as evidenced by the hierarchy established by the French coach since November 2021. Indeed, it is Anthony Dupont who starts the matches before Maxime Lucu replaces him during the game. However, according to West Francethe Bordeaux region has “a very different profile from Antoine Dupont because he is less dynamic and has less virtuosity”. In addition, the former Biarritz player only started four times as a starter and never really made an impression.
On the other hand, Baptiste Couilloud could have his chance, because he was able to quickly get noticed, according to our colleagues. As evidenced by his try scored just a few minutes after coming into play this Thursday against Namibia. His profile is closest to that of Antoine Dupont, but his modest experience may raise some questions. It’s up to Fabien Galthié to make his choice.
RF