Antoine Dupont showcased his star power with a stunning solo try, leading France to the quarter-finals of men’s rugby sevens at the Paris Olympics. The French capital set the stage for an early celebration with rugby sevens chosen to kick off the festivities, even before the official opening ceremony on Friday.
Playing in front of nearly 80,000 fans at the nation’s largest stadium, France experienced a shaky start with a 12-12 draw against the United States in their opening Pool C match. The festive mood turned anxious as Uruguay initially led their second game, but scrum-half Dupont turned the tide in France’s favor. His impressive run, highlighting his speed and strength, gave France a 12-7 lead, paving the way for a 19-12 victory.
Ireland also advanced to the quarter-finals, having won both of their Pool A matches on the first day of the Games.
Atmosphere Lifts France
Dupont, a megastar in 15-a-side rugby and the 2021 World Player of the Year, switched to the smaller format to boost France’s chances of sevens glory on home soil. Despite initial skepticism over his decision to skip the Six Nations earlier this year, the move has won Dupont even more admiration from the French public. The nation’s leading sports newspaper, L’Equipe, celebrated him on their front page, and the Stade de France crowd repeatedly chanted his name during the match.
“The atmosphere was good and helped us to win,” said Dupont. “Maybe we did not do our best, but hopefully, it will help us more in the next game. We need to raise our level. If not, we will not go too far. We need to be focused on the game and not distracted, because we are capable of better.”
France sits second in their pool, trailing Fiji with five points from their first two matches. The top two teams from each of the three pools, plus the two best third-placed teams, will advance to the knockout stage. France will face defending Olympic champions Fiji, who have already secured qualification with victories over Uruguay and the US, in their final pool match on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Ireland easily navigated their seemingly tough pool, eliminating the need to face New Zealand in their final match on Thursday. James Topping’s squad, featuring 15-a-side talents like Hugo Keenan, is aiming for a medal and demonstrated their potential with a 10-5 win over South Africa and a commanding 40-5 victory against Japan, much to the delight of Irish fans in attendance.
Credit: BBC Sport
