France defence guru Shaun Edwards says he would be “very surprised” if Antoine Dupont is not back for the World Cup quarter-finals after the scrumhalf’s surgery.
The French Rugby Federation confirmed in a statement early on Saturday morning that Dupont had undergone an operation late on Friday night, in a bid to recover in time for the playoffs.
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Dupont left the pitch on Thursday in the 46th minute of a 96-0 win for Les Bleus nursing his right cheekbone after former Sharks centre Johan Deysel made a badly-timed head-on-head tackle and was sent off.
Writing in a column for the Daily Mail, defench coach Edwards said that there is a quiet confidence inside the French camp that Dupont will still play a major role in their World Cup campaign.
“If we make it to the latter stages of the World Cup, then I’d be very surprised if he isn’t available for the quarter or semi-final,” said Edwards.
Edwards revealed that Dupont was among the first players up for breakfast on Friday morning, when the scrumhalf had a yoghurt and protein shake.
“If you can’t eat then you might lose a stone and that really affects your power,” Edwards continued. “Antoine is all muscle, so it’s a real positive that he can maintain his weight.”
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The potential availability of the 26-year-old halfback, widely regarded as one of the best players in the world, would be a significant boost to host nation France’s hopes.
Photo: EPA/Christophe Petit Tesson