France was dealt a major blow as Captain and star player Antoine Dupont suffered a serious injury to his cheekbone during the hosts’ demolition of Namibia with a score of 96-0 in the Rugby World Cup 2023.
The scrum-half dictated the play with seamless efficiency, marking his valuable contribution with two try assists and converting a try of his own before being on the receiving end of a dangerous high tackle by Johan Deysel, resulting in the Namibian Captain receiving a red card.
The French team Captain had to unwillingly leave the pitch as he looked in extreme disarray and uncomfortable after receiving a high shot.
Head Coach Fabien Galthie confirmed the severity of the injury as it’s suspected to be a maxillary fracture. For now, it doesn’t seem like surgery would be required, but it’s confirmed he would miss the phase of the tournament until the semi-finals, provided his team manages to reach the stage.
Dupont’s Injury Draws Distress Among Supporters and Professionals Alike
People in the rugby universe have expressed their fear and concern over the severity of Dupont’s injury.
E.K Rugby feels “This World Cup simply isn’t the same without Antoine Dupont playing in it. Wishing him the very best of health.”
While former Wallaby Matt Giteau simply wants to see top-level personnel feature in the greatest showdown in World Rugby, as he tweeted, “I hope for the sake of the @France2023 that Antoine DuPont is clear of any major injury. We need the best players playing in the World Cup.”
There were different schools of thought resonating with Rugby Inside Line, stating, “If we lose Ntamack AND Dupont, do we just postpone the World Cup?”
Some supporters wouldn’t tend to accept the severity of the situation as they even suggested the French Star Player wear a mask to protect his face but feature anyway for the next fixture in line.
Lack of Protection to Dupont
Supporters expressed strong disarray against Gilthe for deciding to play Dupont in a comparatively minor weighted game in their run in the World Cup. However, some people also came in support of Gilthe, stating the injury as mere bad luck.
Paul Edison aligned with the same, declaring: “If the worst is confirmed, there will be lots of criticism heading Galthié’s way for leaving Dupont out there. It’s just bad luck, though. You can’t mitigate an accident like that.
E.K Rugby nodded in agreement with the same notion, stating, “See a lot of criticism coming in for Galthié’s decision to play Dupont, but that injury could have happened in training, never mind a game.”
Future Hangs in Balance for France in the World Cup
France is set to face Italy in the next round of the grandest stage of them all. The injury-struck Dupont waits in anxiousness, as do the supporters, not knowing when the Star Player shall feature again.
As unfortunate as it is for the Rugby World Cup fans and French supporters, the decision to play Dupont in an unfit state shall only prove to be detrimental to the French Team and Dupont himself.
It’s only in the hands of time if and when the French Star player steps foot on the field; I hope it happens soon.
