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Superstar Dupont returns 'better than before' for France's November Tests / Photo: © AFP/File
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Superstar Dupont returns 'better than before' for France's November Tests
French rugby's golden boy Antoine Dupont is set to feature for his country's 15-a-side on Saturday for the first time since a morale-denting Rugby World Cup exit a little over a year ago.
In the 13 months since the loss on home soil to eventual champions South Africa, scrum-half Dupont has helped the France sevens team to an Olympic gold medal as well as claiming a French Top 14 and Champions Cup double with club Toulouse.
On Saturday, the 27-year-old is in line to captain France against Japan at the Stade de France, where he claimed Olympic success this summer to banish most of the hurt from the World Cup defeat.
"It was an important objective for him to able to play in the Olympic Games," France flanker Francois Cros told reporters on Wednesday.
"It was something incredible for him and French rugby," Dupont's club team-mate added.
Already a national icon, the Olympic victory took Dupont's status to an international level.
After the Games, he went on holiday to the USA, meeting NBA legend LeBron James and Argentina football superstar Lionel Messi as well as visiting the training set-up of the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers.
"Since he's come back, after having a good break, he's better than what he was before," Cros said.
"So it's obviously a pleasure to have him back."
In his first 15s game since the Olympics, Dupont scored a nine-minute hat-trick for Toulouse against Clermont before two more impressive performances against Pau and Toulon.
In the three Top 14 appearances he has showcased his acceleration and support play, two key aspects of sevens.
"I think it's opened him up a bit more, even if he didn't really need to open up further rugby-wise," Cros said.
"He saw a new type of rugby with new skills he was able to develop.
"I think Antoine has the ability, whatever the situation, to find the gap and the key, it's his strong point."
- 'No doubt' -
Cros and Dupont have been team-mates for almost a decade, while Lyon's France lock Mickael Guillard is having his first taste of the nuggety half-back at training.
The only time Guillard has faced the 2022 World Rugby player of the year was in January's Top 14 league match, when Dupont scored a try in Toulouse’s 45-0 hammering of Lyon.
"I can't wait to be able to play with him as I've played against him and it hurt!" Guillard joked on Wednesday.
"He's the best number nine, if not player, in the world," he added.
For the autumn campaign, which also includes facing New Zealand on November 16 and Argentina the following Friday, Dupont has been reinstalled as skipper.
Gregory Alldritt stood in during the Six Nations and Baptiste Serin wore the armband during July's scandal-hit tour of south America.
"The question didn't even need to be asked, it's natural to us for him to be captain," Cros said.
"Since he's come back his standards have been the same if not better, there was no doubt about that subject."
K. Berger--BTZ
