FRANCE’S OLYMPIC HERO scrum-half Antoine Dupont returns to Top 14 action on Saturday in what Toulouse coach Ugo Mola hailed as a welcome boost for the struggling champions.
Dupont makes his comeback against Clermont two-and-a-half months after guiding France to the Olympic rugby sevens gold medal.
And Mola believes it will have an impact on the entire team after back-to-back defeats.
“(What) he gives to all his teammates through the trust he evokes, what he generates… we must not underestimate this.”
Dupont will make his first appearance in the Toulouse jersey since their crushing Top 14 final victory against Bordeaux-Begles in June.
“The first person to be happy about this return is obviously him. After two-and-a-half months, he was a little fed up,” said his teammate Dimitri Delibes.
“It gives the group a bit of a boost. He is one of the leaders of the team. He always has the right word, always the right advice.”
Since the 27-year-old’s Olympic success on home soil, Dupont was named the Top 14′s Player of the Seaason for 2023/24.
In his post-Olympics break, he spent time in the United States meeting Argentina football superstar Lionel Messi in Miami as well as NBA star LeBron James in California and visited the Los Angeles Chargers’ NFL set-up.
His return is timely for Toulouse after consecutive defeats against Bordeaux-Begles (16-12), the first at home since February 2022, then a 28-23 reverse at Castres last weekend.
In Dupont’s absence, the record 23-time French champions have started the new season sluggishly and are fifth in the Top 14 table with three wins from their opening five games.
Mola praised Dupont’s dedication for training several times with Toulouse during his time off as the scrum-half also prepares for France’s November Tests against Japan, New Zealand and Argentina.
He said Dupont was constantly “pushing the cursor” and was aware that he would be pilloried for any “lacklustre” performances.
“He knows that and he works accordingly. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why he doesn’t hang out too much on holiday,” Mola added.
Versatile Argentine international back Juan Cruz Mallia also returns to the southern side.
“It’s good to see the two again. They bring that confidence and that little extra,” said second rower Joshua Brennan.
Clermont fly-half Benjamin Urdapilleta was not relishing coming up against Dupont.
“He couldn’t have waited another week? We don’t have any luck,” the Argentine quipped on French radio.
His side are sixth in the table, one point behind Toulouse.
Leaders Bordeaux-Begles host Perpignan, while second-placed La Rochelle are at Bayonne and struggling Racing 92 play host to third-placed Toulon.
it’s a bit early to be calling him a LEGEND!!!!…..
Agreed. Also, that bit about him inspiring one of the greatest comebacks in sport ever was a tad over the top.
Brian why is it over the top? It genuinely was a phenomenal comeback and he played the pivotal role! I may as well ask you to specify what rugby team you’d follow just to ensure its not a tribal reason clouding your judgement!
Abuse of the word ‘legend’… a key component in the side for a number of years, yes. But, legend, no. Carpe dium Johnny. Go n-éirí leat, agus b’fhéidir go bhfeicimid arís thú.
He is one of if not the best out half ever to play for Ireland – so he deserves to be considered a legend !
Dan Parks to Leinster?!
I wish Sexton all the best but he has hardly set the number 10 green jersey alight to warrant being a legend. A legend to have played in Ireland yes but a legend in an Irish jersey? The jury is still out on that
Ha Ha Ha – he wouldn’t lace OGara boots in his prime.
He’s just gone RACING !
We’re you there? I was. It was an incredible one man avalanche of rugby.
He most certainly is a Leinster legend but he most certainly is not an Irish legend….yet.
Every time he’s played v Ogara he bettered him Elrat. Take a look at the Heineken cup semi final for example.
Good luck to him. Fantastic player. Deserves the financial rewards being offered to him. Sorry to see him leave.
I don’t think he’ll have a problem settling in France. Joey Barton managed it, and even picked up some French too!
You must be joking.
It might improve his place kicking.
Why wouldn’t you go.. New culture new language better weather & double your wages.. He probably only has 6 or 7 years left at the top so it’s now or never.. Dan carter will be at a French club in a few weeks too.. He’s getting a sabbatical from the nz rfu, whose going to pay for the new knees & hips when there in their 60,s, cash in now.. Best of luck johnny….
Not sure how often you have been in Paris , but the weather can be wet also.
fair dues to sexton
a great #10
A famous Cork man once said “players are treated like pieces of meat”. He is dead right to go. Leinster had no problem dropping him to club rugby a few years ago when his form dipped. What’s to say that won’t happen again? He can come back in two years and get his tax break. Best of luck to him.
The main impact of Sexton leaving will b to potentially open d floodgates of an Irish exodus to France similar to d 1 to England in d late 90′s
@John, You’ve hit the nail on the head there, I think all Irish rugby fans should be worried about how this may play out in the long term. Given the seemingly bottomless pockets of some of the French clubs we risk losing our best talent. This has happened as you mention to England in late 90′s and has been happening over the couple of years to the Welsh regions
Or as in Wales right now.
Rubbish, we don’t have enough players whom they want, name 5 whom you think would be in the market.
Kearney, Murray, Zeno, Sean o Brien, cian Healy …… All young and talented, I could name 50 if u want
Leinster have no power to stop him leaving, financially or otherwise.
The IRFU have full say on the contract, If they are willing to offer €450k, Leinster can’t just say well throw in another 300 to match the racing offer.
Fair play to Sexton, his career will only be so long. The IRFU have really screwed Leinster over I think. Leinster have far much more to lose that the national team.
How have the IRFU screwed Leinster? They offered Sexton nearly half a million euro to stay. They really couldn’t afford to match the Racing Metro offer because if they did they would be setting a precendent for other Irish players who might get generous offers from other clubs.
Ultimately the IRFU have to manage rugby in a prudent financial manner. There is a certain limit beyond which they can’t and shouldn’t go. They’ve done well to retain most Irish players for so long. I don’t want to see Irish players leaving for English/French clubs but ultimately what good will it be if the IRFU goes bankrupt trying to match these sort of mega deals?
How many other players like o gara, o Driscoll, o Connell and others have turned down big offers to stay with their provinces!!?? Simon Zebo, turned down massive money to stay with Munster, he said that the pride and banter in Munster rugby is not worth the extra money!! Pride of the jersey will bring on a player, because he will want to not let down any of his team mates and will give 100%!! When big money gets involved its not going to bring out the best I think!!
That’s true if you have pride in your jersey. Section has been out to suit himself for years and mgt pandering to him never helped. Good luck to him seriously but he’s not the major loss people think.
Did Zebo get a ?750k offer too?
@bart and the other Munster supporters …. Two words .. Keith wood …
True, but that was when the professional era just started!!
Keith Wood moved at the very start of the Professional era when the provinces hadn’t quite caught up with the structures in place in England.
But then again like johhny money talked for Uncle Fester and many other frontline irish players before we started to gain confidence in ourselves with Ulsters win and Munsters great runs in the cup which brought supporters and money to the game here.
Anyway good luck to Johhny hopefully he will make a success of it and good luck to Madigan this is his chance to hopefully come good on the pormise he has shown.
Hopefully Keatly and Hanrahan can come good for Munster as the more top class 10′s we have the better.
Come on Ireland!!!!
Doh ***promise***
Jaysus, thescore, that reads like your crush is moving on and you’re passive aggressively down in the dumps. Get over it, he’s just not that into you.
1: Who’d begrudge him more money, a chance to develop as a player and experience life in a different culture?
2: Plenty of positives for Ireland – a better more all-round fly-half and a 10 slot opening up for an up and coming player to get experience
3:’Suffer immeasurably’ is a tad of an overstatement. All teams have to deal with losing their best players eventually. The best teams are the ones that constantly develop new talent. Is it a loss? Yes. Is it the end of Leinster Rugby as we know it, with no way from the depths of Sextonless hell? No. Leinster will get over it.
4:Maybe the IRFU and Leinster felt there was a price that was high to keep him. If that’s the case, fair play. Stick to your guns. Every player has his/her price.
5: Of course he might fail in France. He might also get hit by a bus tomorrow. He might also develop as a player and be a better out-half for Ireland in the future. The move is a risk. If it pays off, it’s great for Sexton and Ireland, if it doesn’t, it was still worth taking.
The bigger question is, is this the beginning of an exodus of Irish players to foreign teams lured by money? The IRFU have been unable or unwilling to match the French offer. I don’t want to make the money thing sound dirty or anything. Players have a shelf life and its only right to make hay while the sun smiles. Will we see more and more players emigrate for money or to extend their careers?
I think this could be a good thing for Irish rugby it will allow younger players to be blooded earlier and I think will be a positive thing for both Leinster and Ireland.
Hopefully he’ll preform to his full potential and enjoy his career. Best of luck to him.
That’s the leinister crowd again d4 money matters,o gara wouldn’t of moved ,
It’s easy eoghan to comment when there’s nobody offering you €750 a year ( £1.7 million sterling according to sky).. O Connell will be be remembered as a loyal servant of Munster but realistically wouldn’t have got a club in the last four years because of his injuries. & should probably retire before permanent damage is done..johnny can always come back & would be welcome..
I gara wad never offer Sexton money
As long as tge French leave Zebo alone I am a happy camper , not often munster produce a winger that has “it”
Leinster live by the sword and die by the sword.
It’s not good for Irish rugby but it does bring an ironic smirk to my face considering the way Leinster and the IRFU bigwigs deal with Connacht.
Fair point – whats good for the goose and all that
Ate you kidding me? Leinster bad for Conaught? There’s more Leinster academy player out west than the other way around. Oh and the only reason conaught are even playing at the top table is because Leinster won the heineken cup for the last two years.
Next year no European rugby and 3rd from the bottom in the rabbo.
Love the bit. Will he fail. Good man Johnny but will you fail. The usual Irish, get another step on the ladder but we,re hear if you fail…….
its all unraveling for Leinster now… they had a good run though… Heineken Cup coming back to Munster where it belongs!!
Would you back that statement with €1,000?
I think it’s a bit simplistic to look at it as just a money move. Knowing how determined that Sexton is I would imagine that the chance to experience a new culture first hand and test himself at a different level would be factors too. The silver lining is that it frees up a space for another Irish out-half to play HCup for Leinster next year. Best of luck to him.
I’d say Sexton got the hump cause he didn’t get captaincy ahead of that useless shite Heaslip and then try wouldn’t raise his wage to the same as Heaslip and said fu*k this I’m off to France for a few years! He’s a lot more valuable to Ireland and Leinster than Heaslip! I wouldn’t even have him in the team with a full strength backrow to choose from. JUST SAYING.
Best of luck to Jonathan ! My one concern is the reluctance with which the French clubs release foreign players for international duty !
Ok Johnny is gone lets look to the future It’s now madigans time and I am sure he can step up to the mark
He is a sulky boy Sexton. The french will give his attitude a wake up call.
the one thing that is becoming increasingly clear is that thejournal / thescore have an ever-increasing number of Leinster-philes working their pages. Sexton popped up at the right time and place within the Leinster/Ireland setup is all. Won’t be missed easily replaced, perfect opportunity for Madigan/Keatley/ Jackson
Good luck to the legend..
Bad day for Leinster; Conway on his way to Munster:
http://www.munsterrugby.ie/news/11445.php
He might not have lived up to expectations, but still very young and will hopefully flourish when given a little more game-time
450k isn’t enough. He should be excluded from playing for Ireland. Look how Brennan ended up
Trevor Brennan?? As in the guy who owns 2 bars in Toulouse and is quite financially comfortable?? Bad example I reckon….
Trevor brennan? The mans a legend in one of the biggest clubs in the world. Won every honour in the European game and is financially secure for the rest of his life, if that’s the best you can come up with every Irish player should go to France
Best of luck Johnny. I don’t begrudge him and now we can see how good Madigan is or isn’t. After all some people have said he should b the Irish number 2 out half….
I thought mercenaries were confined to soccer… Turns out there’s a few in Rugby too.
So much for the saying,
One life, one club
This could see a mass exodus if the move goes well for Sexton
Has anyone told Johnnie about the French wealth tax? The 450k Irish contract would/will be tax free if he finishes his career in Ireland
Wealth tax on incomes of over €1 million per year. Won’t affect him.
He’s a good solid player, nothing more. He’d be crazy not to take the money if someone thinks he’s worth it.
Looking forward to seeing a new breed of younger Irish players step up to the plate.
“We’ll never forget you, Jimmy Sexton”
There’s a lot of begrudgery here. Good luck him. He’s not the first and won’t be the last. Ross had to go to England to make his name just like Keith Wood. Tommy Bowe and Roger Wilson left Ulster. Even Johnny O’Connor crossed the pond. the only point I would make is if he goes he should from herein be considered an automatic choice for Ireland. Otherwise we are talking about double standards when you see how players like Bob Casey were ostracized by the authorities because they were playing in England.
Best of Luck Jonny. U Will be a big hit here in France
I wish Sexton the very best of luck, he will still be available for Ireland, Leinster have produced great out-halfs time and time again over the years. After all, graveyards are full of ” indispensable people” and this does not only apply to Rugby.
Who are these great out halves of which u speak???
Ollie Campbell and tony ward to name but 2
The issue with the move is that in reality he will not get the game time that he hopes. Witness the welsh players who have all made the move chasing money and have now lost form because they are not getting game time because of the large squads the play there.
Ah yea but Racing aren’t that good and Sexton is
Sob
Best of luck to him. Hard to believe his motivation is anything other than money, Racing aren’t even a top side in the French league. Leave 2 in a row Heineken Cup champions to play with a mid table French club side.
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/rugby/top-14/2012-2013/tables/
While he’s a good player he needs to get his kicking solid. That’s the difference between a good and a great player, Hope he does well and flies the Irish Flag.
http://www.rabodirectpro12.com/statzone/rhino_golden_boot.php
Racing have signed a lot of very good players for next season including Jamie Roberts and most likely Dan Lydiate. Mujati from saints too… New coaching ticket as well. Racing owners spending a lot of money to bring in the best…
I’m distraught about the whole thing. Not gonna lie I’ve been reduced to tears numerous times throughout the day by the matter. I can’t believe he is moving, thought he was a boy in blue for life. Can’t believe in a few months we’ll never see him in the RDS again, & his parking spot will go :’( (soppy girl comment) But I really wish him the best. I hope he did the right thing. He’ll always be a Leinster Legend in my eyes!
Best of luck to him, just a pity wer losing our finest n sport & n work, but they’l back better even than they left
In the context of the impact it has on Irish rugby maybe it is time to embrace the concept and try to be more pro-active. The current tax breaks for rugby players dictates that those nearing the end of their careers cannot afford to go overseas. By opting to go now Sexton effectively loses his tax break and there is no financial incentive for him to ever again play his rugby in Ireland.
Solution; amend the tax treatment to allow players to take a break from Irish rugby for a period of time, say 24 months. This allows the better players to reap the financial rewards they deserve and leave the door open and the incentive in place for them to return to Irish rugby.
He will get his tax back if/when he comes back i.e. once he finishes his career here
Just for the record two Leinster out-halfs of note Ollie Cambell and Paul Dean.
Another possible problem for Sexton will be next year after the Six Nations and the Lions tour both in which I expect Sexton will play a prominent part, will be his lack of exposure in Ireland. Who in Ireland watches the French League? Any up and coming out half will be in the eye of the selectors in both the RaboDirect and the Heineken Cup. Will selectors bother to watch Sexton or just rely on media reports?
I would regret to read a comment in the Journal in 18 months time to the effect of ” who is Johnny Sexton” .
The Lions is this Summer and he’s not going to France until after the season.
I watch the top14. It’s so much better than Rabo or Aviva Prem
Sorry I mean he should not be considered an automatic choice.
Brennan ended up assaulting an innocent fan. Completely different case.
Innocent?
A
Also Tony Ward
Very bad day for Irish rugby…. Very very bad!
Start of the exodus to France or the UK as the Irish players now know their worth in the market place.