Toulouse make Antoine Dupont joker decision after failed Aaron Smith swoop with shock emergency plan
Toulouse have reportedly come to a decision on how they will cover for Antoine Dupont.
Toulouse have made a decision over whether to sign a medical joker for club captain Antoine Dupont following his season-ending injury.
The world-class number nine sustained an ACL injury in France’s Six Nations victory over Ireland, and ever since that day in Dublin, his club have been scouring the market to find a replacement.
However, at this point in the season, the options were either few and far between or rather expensive.
Aaron Smith lead
That has led the Toulouse coaching team and board to the decision that the club would not be signing a medical joker to provide further cover in the squad, according to a report by Midi Olympique.
Instead, Paul Graou will be entrusted with the starting number nine jersey for the remainder of the season, with Japanese international Naoto Saito deputising for him.
Additionally, youngsters Simon Daroque and Nathan Llaveria will have greater roles to play in the squad in Dupont’s absence, while shockingly, Italian outside back Ange Capuozzo will be tasked with filling the void in an emergency.
Capuozzo has played almost exclusively on the wing and at full-back for Toulouse, but realising the need for more depth at scrum-half, head coach Ugo Mola has tested him in the role most recently in the Top 14 fixture against Pau.
It was not through a lack of trying that Toulouse came to the decision not to sign cover for the France captain as it was reported that assistant coach Jerome Kaino contacted fellow All Blacks legend Aaron Smith to gauge his interest.
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Smith may be retired from international rugby but is still plying his trade in Japan for Toyota Verblitz, who have endured a troublesome season so far. With the Sir Steve Hansen-led side still in threat of possibly featuring in the promotion-relegation match and the costs involved, the move was dubbed ‘impossible’.
While signing the former All Black would have been a real statement of intent, it would have also sent alarm bells off with the LNR, particularly after they were ordered to pay 1.3 million euros after breaching salary cap regulations over the transfer of Melvyn Jaminet from Perpignan back in 2022.
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Additional avenues
French clubs are afforded additional funds outside of the salary cap to sign medical jokers, but Smith’s salary would have more than likely exceeded that.
Other avenues explored included that of Waratahs skipper Jake Gordon, who was keen to take up a deal with Perpignan last year but had the move blocked by Rugby Australia, who denied him an early release from his contract.
Ryan Louwrens, who spent some time training with Montpellier, was another option reportedly considered by the French giants, but nothing came of that either.
Graou’s first big challenge in the number nine jersey will be this weekend in the Investec Champions Cup with Toulouse hosting Sale Sharks at Stadium Toulouse in the round of 16.
If Mola’s men see off the threat of the Premiership club, they will face the victors of the match between RC Toulon and Saracens, with the latter set to field a second-string team void of their England internationals.
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