Antoine Dupont is back. The best player in the world, whose facial injury against Namibia last Thursday made the news, should be available for the quarter-finals of the French XV (October 14-15). Good news for French rugby which has nevertheless sparked debate in recent days regarding the health of rugby players, notably with a return of the captain of the Blues considered too early by some. In the columns of Le Parisien this Thursday, Florian Grill, president of the FFR, gave his point of view.

“I want to say and repeat what the staff has been saying from the start: it is the surgeon who will say whether or not Antoine Dupont can play,” says the man who replaced Bernard Laporte at the head of the institution. You have to trust the specialists, and there is no better specialist than the person who operated on him.”

This Tuesday, William Servat, coach of the French forwards, gave a rather reassuring speech towards the Blues star. “He is doing very well. The operation went very well. He is logically resting. He will return to training on Sunday. He will resume at his own pace. We want him to come back in the best possible case. But we will discuss with him, take into account the latest medical recommendations and wait for the green light from the surgeon. But it seems that he will apply very quickly to the match sheets of the XV of France (…) I don’t have too many doubts about Antoine’s ability to return for the quarter-final. Today I’m wondering more about the Italy match (October 6 in Lyon). But it is reasonable to wait a little.”

Asked about the recent comments of Olivier Magne, former international and finalist of the 1999 World Cup, who recently described as “circus games” the possibility of a return of Dupont from the quarter-finals, Florian Grill gave a speech clear. “Everyone thinks what they want, but from a medical point of view, if there is one person who is well placed to decide, it is the surgeon who operated on Antoine who will have the last word. » And Grill warns: “It is not up to Antoine Dupont to decide alone, not to the coach either, even if Fabien Galthié will decide whether or not it makes sense, sportingly, to line him up. »

Words praised by Olivier Magne on X.

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