France scrumhalf Nolann Le Garrec says he’s drawing inspiration from Antoine Dupont’s presence in camp, as Les Bleus gear up for a fiery rematch with the Springboks in Paris on Saturday.
Dupont, who’s still recovering from a knee injury suffered in March, has been working alongside the squad this week despite not being available for selection.
The 28-year-old Olympic sevens champion is expected to return for Toulouse next month after France’s November Tests against South Africa, Fiji and Australia.
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With Dupont sidelined, Le Garrec is tipped to start at halfback, with Maxime Lucu set to provide cover off the bench in what will be a replay of the 2023 World Cup quarter-final.
“If it’s Antoine or even Max Lucu, we discuss a lot off the field in general,” Le Garrec told reporters. “It’s always good advice from Antoine and Max. With all of their qualities, they help me a lot.”
The 23-year-old La Rochelle star is expected to partner Romain Ntamack for the first time at Test level. The Toulouse flyhalf missed the 2023 World Cup through injury, but returns to the fold eager to make a statement.
“It’s great to play alongside Romain,” said Le Garrec. “We have the same vision of the game. We try to stay completely in the moment to help the team play as well as possible.”
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Ntamack, 26, admitted that France’s quarter-final heartbreak against the Boks still lingers, even among those who didn’t take the field that night.
“We weren’t involved in the quarter-final, but I think it was traumatic for more than the matchday 23,” said Ntamack. “I think since then we’ve moved on. We’re focused on this match in 2025 and we hope to start our November campaign well.”
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With Dupont out, Gaël Fickou will again take over the captaincy, leading France for the second time after doing so on their tour to New Zealand in July. The Racing 92 centre will earn his 97th Test cap.
“He has incredible experience,” said Le Garrec. “He’s experienced it all with France – the highs and the lows. He’s very consistent and stable. It’s great that he gets the chance to captain the team.”
Photo: Craig Butland/MB Media/Getty Images
The post Le Garrec leans into Dupont for Bok wisdom appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
France scrumhalf Nolann Le Garrec says he’s drawing inspiration from Antoine Dupont’s presence in camp.
The post Le Garrec leans into Dupont for Bok wisdom appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
