“We will miss Antoine but Toulouse is not a one-man team,” said Rouge et Noir second row Richie Arnold on Wednesday about the absence of international scrum-half Antoine Dupont during a game of the season. “It’s funny, everyone asks me that. “Toto” is an incredible player. We will miss him but Toulouse is not a one-man team. He left to chase his Olympic dream but Paul Graou is a good player, he can replace him,” said the Australian international.
A leading figure in French rugby, Antoine Dupont (27 years old, 52 caps) will join the group from January preparing for the sevens rugby event at the Paris Olympics next summer. The captain of the French XV will thus give up on the 2024 Six Nations Tournament and will also miss matches at Stade Toulouse.
“We will miss him but we have the ability to play and win without him,” Arnold said. “The players here have enough talent to win titles. He’s a monster, he can change the course of a match like that (he snaps his fingers) but I have confidence,” he added on the sidelines of the launch day of the continental rugby competitions, organized in London. Antoine Dupont does not have the confidence to compete in the Games and will have to convince the France 7 staff during the world circuit events, including those in Vancouver (February 23-25) and Los Angeles (March 2-3).
The Toulouse scrum half should, however, be available to his club for the final stages, if the Rouge et Noir, reigning French champions, participate in the Top 14 (final on June 28 in Marseille) as well as in the Champions Cup (final on May 25 in London).