Hosts France and their fans had a lot to celebrate as they coasted to victory in their Pool A fixture against Namibia in Marseille.
The 96-0 victory brought a smile to the faces of many, but it also brought with it concerns over the injury of French captain Antoine Dupont.
Dupont may have suffered an injury that may force him out of the remainder of the tournament.
France Dominate
France recorded their largest-ever victory in international matches, converting 14 tries. Damian Penaud stood out with a hat-trick.
France, whose previous record victory was also against Namibia, an 87-10 victory at the 2007 World Cup at Toulouse, shattered their own record with a performance of complete dominance.
The French got off the mark right out of the gates when Penaud took on a Dupont kick to score in the seventh minute of the game.
They continued their dominance through Jonathan Danty, and Charles Olivon scored through two tries thanks to some incredible handling move down the right wing.
Penaud and Daunty then added to the misery of the Namibians by scoring their second tries as Thibaud Flament, Dupont, and Louis Bielle-Biarrey joined the party, France leading with eight tries in the first half, leaving the score line at 54-0.
Hopes of a comeback for Namibia began when Divan Rossouw scored following an interception, which was ruled out. All hopes came to a halt when a tackle from Johan Deysel on Dupont led to a red card for the former and an injury for the French captain.
France, now playing against 14 players for most of their second half, kept their dominance going through tries.
Baptiste Couilloud, Penaud, Bielle-Biarrey, Ollivon, and Melvyn Jaminet, as well as a penalty try, all joined the scoreboard.
Thomas Ramos showcased his accuracy, landing 12 of his 13 conversion attempts.
France leads Pool A with 13 points from three wins, but they are not guaranteed a spot in the quarter-finals. With Italy being their next challengers and New Zealand looking to top the Pool, the chase for the knockout spots is on track.
Dupont Injured
The resounding win brought about injury concerns, with captain Antoine Dupont suffering a blow to his face.
Head coach Fabien Galthie said afterward. “There is a suspicion of a crack or fracture of the maxillary bone [upper jaw].” “Currently, he’s in the hospital being tested; there is suspicion. I cannot tell you more than that. We are extremely concerned.”
Team manager Raphael Ibanez told ITV Sport, “Antoine [Dupont] got a big hit on his face, and we will do some exams to make sure nothing is wrong with him, but he is a strong guy, and we can rely on his strength.
“We feel sorry for Antoine. It just reminds us how dangerous it can be to make head-to-head contact.
“We have many reasons to have a smile on our faces tonight because we scored some decent tries with the home crowd, a lot of support and energy for the boys.
“We have got to leave with that energy; it is fantastic for our team, and hopefully we keep on going.”
Upcoming Fixtures:
France vs. Italy on Friday, October 6, in their final Rugby World Cup Pool A game, at the OL Stadium in Lyon.
Namibia is next in action vs. Uruguay on Wednesday, September 27, for their final Rugby World Cup Pool A match at the OL Stadium in Lyon.
