6 Nations Tournament: can the Tricolores win the competition without Antoine Dupont, the Zidane of rugby ?

Antoine Dupont lors du dernier Mondial en France. MAXPPP – Adam Davy

Pour la première fois depuis 2016, le XV de France s'apprête à disputer un Tournoi des 6 Nations sans Antoine Dupont, focalisé sur les Jeux olympiques. Il manque, forcément, mais les Bleus ne sont pas dépeuplés pour autant. 

The leading figure of French rugby had a slight pang in his heart after the Champions Cup match won against Bath (31-19) when half a dozen of his Toulouse teammates left to prepare for the Tournament at Marcoussis. Without him.

"Obviously, that's funny to me. I would like to be there too but you have to make choices in life (…). I haven't yet found a way to split myself up…, he said after having greatly contributed to Stade Toulouse's victory on Sunday against the leader of the Top 14 , Racing 92 (27-20).

An unusual doubles match for the 27-year-old scrum half, who must play a second Saturday evening against Bayonne before joining the French sevens rugby team to give shape to his dream of an Olympic medal this summer in Paris.

A top player highlighted ?

On the Marcoussis training grounds, where the Blues are regaining their collective marks before challenging Ireland on Friday in Marseille to open the Tournament, his absence is inevitably felt.

Well, not for everyone.

"I see him all the time (in Toulouse) so it's okay", jokes Thomas Ramos. "Antoine was the captain of the team and one of the best players in the world. The entire group will miss him, whether on the field or in life, on a daily basis".

"We still have two high-level scrum halves (Maxime Lucu and Nolann Le Garrec), who are making a very good start to the season in their clubs", puts the Toulouse back and scorer into perspective. & quot;They are ready to take on the challenge, a bit like what happened during the World Cup at the time of his injury".

When Dupont fractured his jaw during the group stage of the 2023 World Cup, Lucu, still undefeated with the France team, in eighteen selections, had perfectly assured the interim against Italy (60-7).

His performances with UBB in recent months and the "old couple" that he forms at the hinge with his Gironde teammate Matthieu Jalibert suggests that the 31-year-old Basque, with a more managerial profile, is able to emerge more permanently from the heavy shadow of the best player in the world 2021.

"Max Lucu has always been good to us, even very good", judges coach Fabien Galthié. "It's now up to him to take charge, with serenity, with what he knows how to do, his assets, his qualities".

New captaincy, similar values

By entrusting La Rochelle third row Grégory Alldritt with the captaincy left vacant by the absence of Dupont, Galthié also chose a certain continuity in terms of leadership.

The two men, with similar accents and temperaments, raised an hour's drive from each other between Hautes-Pyrénées and Gers, met ;#39;appreciate and know each other well after playing together among young people in Auch.

"Antoine may not be from Gers but there are common values ​​that I find in Greg", observes Toulouse winger Matthis Lebel, himself from the Gers.

"The two have always said it: they are at the service of the collective and that is really felt internally."< /em>