French superstar Antoine Dupont has spoken about his disappointing opening Six Nations game against Ireland.
The scrum-half did not play in the match as he is concentrating on sevens for the Paris Olympics.
His replacement was Maxime Luk, but the Bordeaux-Begles playmaker was criticized for his performance in the 38-17 defeat to Ireland.
The 2022 Grand Slam champions succumbed to last year's champions, struggling under pressure from Andy Farrell's side.
willemse red
It was a surprisingly lackluster display, even considering Paul Willemse was shown a red card for two dangerous shots in the first half.
Dupont's presence may have meant little to the result, given that Ireland controlled the game, especially at the breakdown and lineout, but there is no doubt that he brought a spark to Les Bleus. do not have.
Despite not being able to feature in the Six Nations squad, the French star has featured for Toulouse for the past two weeks and was asked about Fabien Galthie's outfit's performance on Friday.
“We know how difficult it is to play with 14 players at international level,” he said. Canal+ After Les Rouges et Noirs' win over Bayonne.
“The Irish were very well prepared, but I think they stepped too high. We have too many obstacles in our way.”
France now face another tough challenge ahead of their away game against Scotland at Murrayfield on February 10, but Dupont is confident Galthie's side can turn things around. ing.
“I'm not worried. They're a group with character and ambition. I'm sure they'll turn heads in the next game in Scotland,” he said.
switch to sevens
Following Top 14 Toulouse's win over Bayonne, Dupont was once again influential, with the 27-year-old now set to join the France Sevens squad.
He will take part in the next two World Rugby SVNS Series games in Vancouver (February 23-25) and Los Angeles (March 2-3) to familiarize himself with the sport in preparation for the Olympics. .
“I'm very excited, but also a little apprehensive,” Dupont said. “This is a really motivating challenge and I will work hard to learn first and perform well right away.”
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