VIDEO. Rugby: with a hat-trick scored in nine minutes, Antoine Dupont scores big on his return to the field

Antoine Dupont a inscrit trois essais en neuf minutes avec le Stade Toulousain. MAXPPP - LAURENT DARD

Author of a hat-trick in 13 minutes against Clermont this Saturday, October 12, Antoine Dupont did not “need 50 chances” to succeed in his return to the Top 14, congratulated the assistant coach of Stade Toulousain David Mélé, after the victory of the Rouge et Noir (48-14).

“We see that on his first ball, he doesn't need 50 chances, he's an opportunist”, declared the assistant in charge of skills in a press conference.

Two and a half months after his victory at the Paris Games, the French rugby superstar played his first minutes of the season, coming on in the 45th minute to a standing ovation at the Stade Ernest-Wallon. And the least we can say is that he didn't take long to find his marks.

Only four minutes after coming on, the international scrum-half scored the first of his three tries, slipping through the Clermont defence.

“A comfort of “to have it”

“We know its qualities, we know what it can bring us. Antoine is a threat, he concentrates a lot of defenders”, added David Mélé.

But that didn't stop him from scoring two other tries in quick succession, first from receiving an inside pass from winger Ange Capuozzo, then from a long kick from the Italian international (56th, 58th).

“We all know here that Antoine is more of a specialist in inside support, it's a comfort of 'having it", Capuozzo commented.

"Having this fresh blood is good for everyone, it brings energy, emulation, a touch of madness", he added about Dupont and the Argentinian Juan Cruz Mallia, back from the Rugby Championship played with the Pumas.