While Antoine Dupont seems determined to play in the quarter-final for the Blues, a possible relapse makes Damien Traille fear the worst.
For the French staff, a week after Antoine Dupont’s facial injury against Namibia, the presence of the Toulouse scrum-half in the quarter-finals is in little doubt. “ I don’t necessarily have too many doubts about his ability to play in the quarter-final, it’s more the Italy match that has me wondering » , confided William Servat at a press conference, clearly implying that Latif de Lannemezan was pushing to resume as quickly as possible.
Florian Grill, the president of the French Rugby Federation, also put the kibosh on it, insisting in the columns of Le Parisien to explain that the first decision-maker was Professor Lowens, the surgeon who operated on him. “ Everyone has the right to think 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 is a great specialist. of the subject and who will have the last wordhe insisted. It is not up to Antoine Dupont to decide alone, nor to the coach even if Fabien Galthié will decide whether it makes sporting sense or not to field him. »
A harmful effect on the group?
Many observers are reluctant to see Antoine Dupont rush his return, fearing a relapse. This is particularly the case of Damien Traille who is obviously worried about the health of the player but also for the morale of his teammates if the former Castres were to go out during the quarter-final. “The danger is that he starts the match, gets injured and aggravates the injury and that impacts the group in this quarter-final”he confided in the columns of Midi-Olympique.
And for the former Palois, the main risk lies in defense even though Antoine Dupont will inevitably be targeted by the South Africans, likely opponents of the Blues in the quarter-finals. “Yes, obviously, but today the players are protected. What will be difficult is in defensive situations, where he will have to tackle and invest. But it’s a job that will be done over the coming days.”explained the 2011 world vice-champion.
Damien Traille nonetheless recognizes the importance of Toulouse for the XV of France. “When we see the class and the importance that this player has in the group, it is certain that his injury is a big concern,” he confided. Only he and the specialists will be able to decide on his presence. But with his impact on and off the field, it is certain that the team performs differently when he is there or not. he said, taking care to add: “Everyone would like Antoine to play, then there is the health of the player…”
2023-09-28 09:29:00
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