It seemed written in the stars that French 15s captain Antoine Dupont would shine in Sevens, but he took it a step further and led his country to their first short-format title in 19 years. lead.
Dupont's switch to Sevens in preparation for the Paris Olympics has been widely reported, with the superstar missing the Six Nations to hone his skills for the big sporting event later this year, but he will be playing in Los Angeles. The results went a long way to proving that decision. .
Fresh from his debut as a member of the Vancouver SVNS Dream Team last weekend, Dupont played an even bigger role this time around, starting every game and devising several winning interventions.
LA Bliss
Dupont scored his first try of the weekend in the opening game against Canada, but was unable to score in the loss to Fiji. He had no easy time keeping the skilful French players at bay and was back on the scoresheet in the Cup quarter-finals against the United States.
Consider that DuPont can now officially meet the fitness demands of the Sevens.
We started the game, played every second and scored this try at the last moment 😄.pic.twitter.com/YWkNWEvmbp
— EK rugby analysis (@ek_rugby) March 2, 2024
This led to the team facing Ireland in the semi-finals, a thrilling matchup in which Dupont recorded a goal and an assist to lead his team to a two-goal victory.
The former World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year did not get on the scoresheet in the final, but was in the final minutes of the match as France made history with a win over England, sealing the deal and qualifying for the final. He threw a pass for the try. Los Angeles dream.
The try that sealed the deal for France 😍
Antoine Dupont and Theo Forner work together to send Forner 💪#HSBCSVNS | #HSBCSVNSLAX pic.twitter.com/c0HFFVL9hG
— HSBC SVNS (@SVNSSeries) March 4, 2024
This result is a testament to the supreme talent that is Antoine Dupont, and highlights how likely the superstar and his French compatriots are to win gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
read more: Antoine Dupont scores a classy try as France kicks off with victory over Los Angeles Sevens
