VIDEO. Rugby Sevens: Antoine Dupont scores a decisive try which qualifies the Blues for the semi-finals in Vancouver

| February 25, 2024 | Sport | No Comments

VIDEO. Rugby Sevens: Antoine Dupont scores a decisive try which qualifies the Blues for the semi-finals in Vancouver

D'un rugby à l'autre, Antoine Dupont impressionne. MAXPPP – Matthieu Mirville

Le capitaine du XV de France a marqué un essai et qualifié les Bleus pour les demies du tournoi du circuit mondial de Vancouver (Canada) samedi.

The attraction Antoine Dupont qualified the Blues for the semi-finals of the world circuit tournament in Vancouver (Canada) on Saturday, and began to impress his style as he discovered rugby to VII. The French women's team is also qualified for the semi-finals of the tournament, which will be played this Sunday.

Star of rugby union who wants to shine at the Paris Olympic Games this summer (July 26 – August 11), Antoine Dupont (27 years old) has the difficult task of integrating into a squad established and successful, he is making his debut with the VII of France in Vancouver this weekend.

The Toulouse and emblematic captain of the XV of France, replacement, found an excellent way to please his new teammates by scoring the winning try in added time of a bitter quarter-final against Ireland (12-5).

Already very good on Friday (two successes), the Blues had developed the most flamboyant game of the tournament before the final phase, with a third group victory on Saturday morning against Australia (31 -5). Dupont, starting in this match without any stakes for the French, took the opportunity to score his very first try, superb, thanks to a commotion followed by a feint and an acceleration.

In the quarters, the Irish managed to stop the tricolor mechanics by offering a slower and more tactical rugby, using kicking play, going against the grain of passes after contact and the usual overlaps of rugby sevens.

Two yellow cards

The Blues even thought they were going out of the tournament when they received two yellow cards almost in quick succession (2 minutes penalty per player) in the middle of the second half (a match is cut in two periods of seven minutes), while the score was 5 everywhere.

But a tough defense allowed them to stay in the game and even regain possession, while Dupont entered in the 10th minute. In added time, on the far left of the field in the Irish 22 m, Dupont put his experience as a scrum half to good use, recovering the ball behind this set play phase to go to the closed side where the Irish had left a space, flattening in the in-goal, and therefore qualify France (12-5).

"We've been waiting for the half since the start of the season, plus Antoine makes the winning attempt. We worked hard, we deserve to be able to win this match", appreciated Aaron Grandidier. The Blues will return to New Zealand on Sunday (10:07 p.m. Paris time), as they reach the final four for the first time this season on the world circuit (after finishing 8th, 7th and 5th in the first three tournaments). ).

The day was perfect for France, which saw the women's VII, also still undefeated in Canada, easily win its quarter-final 24 to 5 (4 tries) against Brazil. Unlike the men, the French women, Olympic vice-champions in Tokyo in 2021 and third in the world ranking this season, were expected at this stage of the competition. In the semis, they face the Australian world No. 1 (9:23 p.m.), against whom they lost the final of the tournament in Cape Town (South Africa) earlier this year.

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