His voice resounded on Tuesday, October 3, through the loudspeakers of the Part-Dieu station in Lyon, inviting travelers to have “a good World Cup.” However, Antoine Dupont will not be on the field during the French men's rugby team match on Friday in Paris. During a press point on Tuesday, the health manager of the XV of France, Bruno Boussagol, made it official that the captain of the Blues would not take part in the “round of 16” – in reality the final meeting of group A – of the World Cup. organized in France, against Italy, Friday October 6 (9 p.m., on TF1).
“He returned to the group on Sunday, first with the medical part, and we quickly moved on to running exercises. Everything is going normally with Antoine, recalled the former physiotherapist of the Montpellier club. He is staying with us until the match [against the Azzurri], and the next step is a visit on Monday [October 9] with his surgeon for a final check-up. We are waiting for the specialist's opinion to see what we can envisage regarding a return to a possible quarter-final. »
Since his fracture of the left maxillo-zygomatic during the match, largely won by the French against Namibia, Thursday September 21 in Marseille (96-0), the scrum half has been engaged in a race against time. And never has a dark mark on the face of a Dupont been so scrutinized. Operated by Toulouse specialist Frédéric Lauwersun, the day after his injury, the player took a week off in his native village in the Hautes-Pyrénées, to recover, before joining the French group in Aix-en-Provence (Bouches). -du-Rhône).
Validated concussion protocol
If the surgeon validated his return with the Blues and a gradual resumption of training, it was necessary to ensure that the French captain did not suffer from the consequences of the concussion caused by this blow to the “bumper of the face”, as maxillofacial surgeon Nicolas Sigaux described it last week, interviewed by Le Monde.
“This Tuesday morning, Antoine validated his concussion protocol, so he is definitely free from all that,” said the health manager of the XV of France. Fracture and operation oblige, the Toulouse scrum half had not followed to the letter the said protocol provided for by the regulations of the competition, which imposes three examinations: the first at the edge of the field, for at least twelve minutes, a second three hours after the final whistle, and the last after two nights of rest. “He was not declared concussed, but it was important for us to take every precaution regarding his health. From now on, if he has the green light, he will be able to practice rugby without restrictions from a neurological point of view,” explained Bruno Boussagol. The latter also clarified that hooker Julien Marchand, injured during the opening match against New Zealand, remained too tight and saw "his recovery postponed".
Monday October 9, three days after the Blues' match against Italy, Antoine Dupont could become a full-time rugby player again, and apply for a possible quarter-final. If his doctor authorizes him, and if his partners overcome the transalpine pitfall and qualify for the final phases. “The surgeon’s green light is the first step in our decision tree, but not the only one,” insisted Bruno Boussagol. Confined since Sunday to exercises on the sidelines with weight machines, a big bruise under his right eye, the captain will slowly resume. It's up to him to say, according to his feelings, if he feels like playing the match, before the French staff decides in turn. The chances are rare that the French management will deprive themselves of the best player in the world in 2021, even if reduced.
