Seriously injured in the knee in March, Antoine Dupont went through a very special year before returning to the field at the end of the year with Toulouse.
Without its playing master, its best player, one of the most famous in the world – if not the most famous – the XV of France struggled during its Autumn Tour. If it is not said that the Blues would have beaten the Springboks at the Stade de France with him, they would still have certainly shown a different face with their scrum in full possession of its means and probably did better than November 8 (17-32 defeat against the world champions).
Seriousness and relaxation
But number 9 was not there. The year 2025, so special, crossed by the Toulousain changed on March 8 in Dublin during Ireland-France, the penultimate outing of the Tricolores in the 6 Nations Tournament (finally gleaned by the Rooster XV), when Tadhg Beirne injured him in a ruck. The verdict, as feared as it was expected, then came: rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament of the right knee. The 28-year-old rugby player (he turned 29 on November 15) knows this injury well, having already suffered from it in February 2018. So, he was in no hurry to come back and took the time to do it well.
After his operation in Toulouse, the Rouge et Noir scrum half put all the means on his side to experience the best possible convalescence while clearing his head, whether alone or through escapades in the company of his sweetheart, Iris Mittenaere, Miss France and Miss Universe 2016. We saw him climb the steps at the Cannes festival, attend the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix, and the exceptional Roland-Garros final. between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, going for a week to Japan to visit the Osaka Universal Exhibition and inaugurating a space of the LVMH group (of which he is one of the ambassadors) or making a detour to the Apple headquarters in the United States where he spoke with Tim Cook, the boss of the famous apple brand.
Winning return on November 29
At the same time, Antoine Dupont quickly built up his muscles and returned to racing – at the beginning of July, just after lifting a new Brennus shield with Toulouse at the Stade de France. He played his role as leader with his Toulouse teammates whom he worked with at the end of August in Saint-Brieuc, where he trained alongside his partners. He continued his work on muscle strengthening and racing intensity in the United States at the beginning of September and headed to Qatar to benefit from the superb facilities of the world-renowned Aspetar private clinic. He resumed his support on his right knee then the time came to resume collective training with the group of French champions.
At the beginning of November, Dupont extended his contract with Toulouse until 2031, and at the end of the same month (the 29th) he played again. Nearly 9 months after his serious injury, the scrum half returned to action in the Championship against Racing (48-24). A winning return for the one who came on in the 50th minute and “felt good”. “I still have a little work to do but the feelings are good,” confided the captain of the Blues (38 meters covered that evening, 23 passes, 2 tackles, 8 kicking games). He then happily returned to the European Cup against the Sharks (56-19) entering in the 45th minute. Starting the following week in Glasgow, Dupont saw up close the incredible collapse of his team who led 21-0 at the break in Glasgow before being overthrown (21-28). A “funny” defeat like his year.
