Antoine Dupont’s season could be over after sustaining an ACL rupture in France’s Six Nations victory over Ireland, Planet Rugby understands.
Les Bleus’ skipper was visibly upset when he limped from the field in the 29th minute of the match after Ireland lock Tadhg Beirne, who appeared to be pushed by team-mate Andrew Porter, fell on his right leg, causing it to buckle.
Dupont pleaded with the officials to review the incident but to no avail and was subsequently helped off the pitch being replaced by Maxime Lucu, France’s only backline replacement for the match.
Dupont’s season-ending injury
Sources close to the French camp have revealed to Planet Rugby that the team doctors believe that he has suffered an ACL rupture but will need an MRI scan to confirm the diagnosis.
However, the experienced medical staff are fairly certain of their prediction as his knee is not stable at all. Additionally, the 28-year-old heard a snap at the moment of impact pointing towards an ACL injury.
Not only will he miss the final round of the Six Nations with France hosting Scotland at the Stade de France but will also rule him out for the remainder of Toulouse’s season.
Depending on the severity of the injury and his rehabilitation, Dupont may well have played his final game of the year for France with ACL injuries taking between six and nine months to recover from.
Jarring footage emerges of Antoine Dupont injury as furious France boss promises citings
This may well mean that he misses Les Bleus’ November Tests which includes a grudge match against the Springboks, who knocked France out of their home Rugby World Cup in 2023.
He was unlikely to travel to New Zealand later this year to face the All Blacks but his absence will be sorely felt by Toulouse in the Top 14 and Investec Champions Cup.
With Dupont out for Super Saturday, Planet Rugby understands that RC Toulon star Baptiste Serin has been called into the squad. The scrum-half has been in stunning form for his Top 14 club but has been overlooked with Lucu and Nolann Le Garrec preferred.
The absence of Dupont could also force Galthie to revert back to a 6-2 bench split as the France skipper was able to cover fly-half and centre at a push if there were injuries in the backline.
After his injury, Pierre-Louis Barrassi was forced off with a concussion with loose forward Oscar Jegou covering in the centres. While France still emerged victorious, a move to a more conservative selection is likely to be on the cards with the title within their grasp.
France boss Galthie was fuming in the post-match presser when asked about Dupont’s injury and revealed that they would be citing Porter and Beirne for their actions.
“We have cited two players – Tadhg Beirne and Andrew Porter – in our post-match report,” he stated.
Speaking to France 2 TV, he added: “In terms of the action, in my opinion, it was reprehensible, and there are ways to study and analyse it.
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/exclusive-worst-antoine-dupont-fears-confirmed-as-france-skipper-set-for-a-lengthy-spell-on-the-sidelines
