Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack’s long-awaited comeback dates confirmed
France's Romain Ntamack alongside half-back partner Antoine Dupont.
Toulouse are set for a major boost ahead of their Investec Champions Cup knockout game against Racing 92, with Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack primed for returns.
While Dupont has been featuring for the France sevens team, Ntamack has been nursing an injury that saw him miss the 2023 Rugby World Cup and is nearing his comeback.
Both players, who are absent for this year’s Six Nations, are poised to be available to Toulouse by the end of the month.
Ntamack’s return date
Ntamack has been sidelined for over six months since sustaining a serious knee injury in France’s 30-27 Rugby World Cup warm-up match against Scotland.
France sorely missed the fly-half during their home tournament and he looks set to return to full fitness ahead of schedule.
According to France Blue, the Toulouse playmaker is set to make his return to action in the Top 14 clash against Pau at the end of March, a week before the Champions Cup knockout tie against Racing 92.
The 24-year-old has been in the France camp recently and was spotted running the tee for Thomas Ramos during the Six Nations.
It’s welcome news for Toulouse, who had fellow France international Thibaud Flament and second-rower Emmanuel Meafou back from injury in the 33-6 victory over Castres last weekend.
Both players have been called into the Les Bleus squad to prepare for the clash against Wales and have been tipped for starting roles.
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Dupont’s brief return to XVs
Meanwhile, Dupont is also set to return to action for Toulouse after guiding France to their first SVNS title in 19 years as they defeated Great Britain in the final of the Los Angeles SVNS.
The brilliant scrum-half could return to club action against Bordeaux, but if not, he will mark his return against Pau a week later.
Dupont will link up with the French Sevens team again in June ahead of the Madrid SVNS as they ramp up their preparations for the Paris Olympics.
This means he will miss their final two Top 14 regular season matches against La Rochelle and Lyon, respectively, as well as the knockout stages of the competition.
Toulouse’s win over rivals Castres this weekend saw them keep pace with Stade Francais at the top of the Top 14 table. Both sides have boasted the same points tally for three consecutive rounds now, with the latter holding first place due to a favourable head-to-head record this season.
