Antoine Dupont admits Six Nations ‘wasn’t an easy’ watch as he reveals the ‘most important’ skill he gained from Sevens
Antoine Dupont is eager to get stuck into the Six Nations after missing the 2024 tournament.
France captain Antoine Dupont is eager to feature in the Six Nations after missing last year’s tournament to chase Olympic Gold.
The brilliant scrum-half was successful in his pursuit but admits that it was difficult to watch on as France fell short of winning rugby’s greatest championship, falling to a defeat at the hands of Ireland and drawing with Italy.
Dupont marked his return to the Test scene last November leading the side to a victory over the All Blacks during an unbeaten end-of-year window.
Antoine Dupont returns
France head coach Fabien Galthie is clearly pleased to have his star man back in the blue jersey as they set their sights on the Six Nations title.
“It’s the return of our captain with all the potential he has, that we know,” said Galthié.
He added: “He carries around him and with him an aura that impacts the France group. His return for us is something important.”
While France were disappointed with a second-place finish last year, Dupont did enjoy success with the Sevens team helping the side win the World Series as well as a gold medal at their home Olympics.
The 28-year-old was already a well-rounded player before tackling the shorter format of the game but he has taken learnings from his stint in Sevens and pinpointed the skill that will influence his XVs performance most.
“On a seven-a-side field, we have to be good in all rugby skills. Even if we are three-quarters XV, we have to be good on the rucks, make good passes, be quick,” he told the official Six Nations website.
“I think I need to work on certain skills that I didn’t necessarily work on before, like in the ruck zones for example. I worked on my throws too, even if it will be less useful to me in XV’s… But the ruck is the most important thing I worked on in Sevens.”
“It wasn’t easy”
While the world-class number nine enjoyed his stint in the shorter format, he admits that it was difficult to watch his teammates struggle in the Six Nations last year.
“It wasn’t easy to watch the guys,” he said.
“I think last year’s result was not what we expected. But, once again, I had other objectives while being focused on my Sevens career.
“I think that even if we were not at our best level, the end result was not so bad. We finished second in the Tournament. We had a good series in November and we must continue, keep the momentum for the Six Nations.”
France are currently in camp as they build towards the start of the tournament as they host Wales in round one at the Stade de France on January 31.
While Dupont is raring to go, he has rued the limited preparation time the squad have for the Championship.
“We would like to have more time to prepare, but two weeks before the first match is already good, especially with an off weekend, even in the middle of the Top 14. It’s comfort for us and it gives us more time to be the best possible for the first match,” he added.
“I think it’s a magical tournament where all the stadiums are incredible. All stadiums have their specificities, but I love playing everywhere,” he confides.”
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