Antoine Dupont can ‘revolutionise the sport’ as Toulouse boss runs out of superlatives for France superstar
Stade Toulousain’s Antoine Dupont during the Investec Champions Cup final at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London. Picture date: Saturday May 25, 2024.
Toulouse head coach Ugo Mola was struggling for words to describe the brilliant Antoine Dupont after the scrum-half’s latest masterclass.
The 27-year-old was once again the linchpin as Les Rouge et Noir secured the Top 14 title with a dominant 59-3 triumph over Bordeaux-Begles on Friday.
Dupont scored two tries but was influential in pretty much every area as the France superstar added to his growing legacy.
‘Doesn’t always’ get it right
Mola was asked whether Les Bleus’ captain was still surprising him and he joked: “Yes, on his two blocked kicks! He doesn’t always go in the right direction.
“What do you want me to tell you? We’ve called on him sporadically this season but, each time he’s been with us, he’s been the player he’s capable of being in big moments.
“His status is no longer to be defined. I took him off 10 minutes from the end, I hope I’ll get a nice text from Jérôme Daret and Christophe Reight to thank me for sparing him for the Olympics.
“I’m convinced that Antoine is one of the players capable of revolutionising his sport. In the few years he still has left, he can do it.”
Unpacking ANOTHER Antoine Dupont masterclass as Toulouse extend their Top 14 record
Dupont may have been the main man but he was not the only player to star as Toulouse put in a complete team display to seal the double following their Champions Cup success.
“This group, this team and this club work hard so that young guys can flourish in this incredible sport. They are looking for records, exploits and to be the first in everything. That’s what drives them,” Mola said.
“Afterwards, no matter how much you want to do it, you have to be able to achieve it. What characterises them is that they have never disappointed me in their commitment. When they commit, they achieve their intentions.
“But what I like is the process, the path and the content. I am delighted with the result, but we may have benefited from a weakened Bordeaux-Bègles team, which had left energy in the play-off (Barrages) and in the semi-finals.”
Squad performance
Mola also credited the whole squad and not just those that took to the field on Friday as they all played a part in their outstanding season.
Toulouse have an impressive academy while they have also made several smart acquisitions, which has built depth and allowed the head coach to rotate the team.
“I don’t know if it’s a perfect exercise but we responded with 59 players used and 37 different try-scorers in the championship,” Mola added.
“But that generated a lot of frustration in this final that we had to manage with players who deserved to be there, like (Mathis) Castro-Ferreira, Théo Ntamack, (Pierre-Louis) Barassi or (Dimitri) Delibes.
“Despite the injuries of four or five players, we played a very accomplished match up front. I don’t want to try to explain but my concerns are about the content.
“I felt the players were electric during the warm-up and even since Wednesday evening. They were determined. We succeeded, so much the better, this season by beating the best in the Champions Cup or in the Top 14.”