France captain and scrum-half Antoine Dupont is poised to return from a significant knee injury in Toulouse’s Top 14 clash with Racing 92 on Saturday at 20:00 GMT.
The 29-year-old has been sidelined since March after rupturing cruciate ligaments in his knee during France’s Six Nations victory over Ireland in Dublin. Dupont, the 2021 World Rugby Player of the Year, has been named on the bench for the Top 14 leaders as they host Racing at Stade Ernest Wallon.
“Straight away he found his footing again,” Toulouse assistant coach Jean Bouilhou said on Friday. “He’s such a talented player, at the highest level. He also has a form of authority over our gameplan. I think he’ll get back his best quickly.”
Dupont has enjoyed a decorated career, winning two Six Nations titles with France and helping the Sevens team capture Olympic gold at last year’s Paris Games. With Toulouse, he has claimed five Top 14 titles and two Investec Champions Cups and recently extended his contract until 2031.
Asked about his expectations for Dupont’s return, Bouilhou said: “I don’t have a crystal ball. I can’t really tell you what will happen in the match or in future matches, I can just talk about what I’ve seen in training. I haven’t seen a drop in quality compared to last year. We’re quite reassured to see him, in that regard.”
Dupont’s return provides a boost for Toulouse ahead of their Champions Cup defence against the Sharks on 7 December. However, the six-time European champions face a setback after losing utility back Juan Cruz Mallia for the rest of the season following a knee injury sustained from a late tackle by England’s Tom Curry in last week’s autumn Test at Twickenham.
“Juanchi is a big loss for the squad,” Bouilhou added. “He’s an extraordinary player, who brings energy and makes other players better.”
Toulouse currently top the Top 14 standings with seven wins from 10 games as they pursue a 25th league title.
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