France in sevens heaven as gamble pays off for Dupont

A magnificent Antoine Dupont crowned his two-year odyssey into the world of rugby sevens with a dream Olympic gold for France in front of an adoring crowd in Paris on Saturday.

The France and Toulouse talisman received a rapturous welcome from a raucous Stade de France for the final against Fiji, which the host won 28-7.

"It's a huge reward for us, for rugby, for all the country," Dupont said.

"We really felt that we were representing not only rugby, but the whole of French sport. We are really proud to start the Olympics like that."

Dupont added: "It's such a great honor to win this title and I have such great emotions.

"It is such a great thing to achieve with these boys. It's really top of the list.

"I just want to share this with my teammates. We worked so hard for so long to do this. This is just the cherry on the cake."

Dupont has established himself as one of world rugby's best players, and the scrum-half is an iconic figure in France.

The 27-year-old took the gamble of missing the Six Nations to make the French Olympic team, a move that led to some criticism.

But, the combative halfback put that to one side, going on to help France to two wins on the World Rugby Sevens Series, including victory in the Madrid finals.

In between, he skippered Toulouse to Top 14 and Champions Cup glory in the game's 15-a-side format.

After starting the opening two pool matches at the Games, Dupont was named on the bench for the final pool game and the knock-out phases, as coach Jerome Daret plumped for Stephen Parez-Edo Martin in the playmaking role.

"It's always more difficult to be on the bench, because we cannot do anything. It's more stressful than playing," Dupont admitted.

"But, this is a part of being in a squad, and the most important thing is the victory."

Daret dubbed Dupont an "exceptional player, whose entry into the game piles a lot of pressure on opponents".

Immediate impact

Wearing the No 11 shirt, Dupont came on for the second half and made an immediate impact in the final against reigning two-time champion Fiji.

The ball was knocked back to him and immediately he was off, rounding Fiji captain Jerry Tuwai and shooting up the left wing.

He lobbed a pass back inside for Aaron Grandidier Nkanang to claim a try for the host.

That pulled France clear, and, with Fiji under pressure, Dupont crossed for a brace of well-taken tries in a script that could not have been written any better.

World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin showered praise on local hero Dupont, telling reporters that what Dupont had achieved was "mind-boggling".

Dupont's presence ensured a 69,000-capacity crowd at the Stade de France, with World Rugby expecting more than half a million fans to attend the six days of sevens action.

The last time Dupont played at the stadium north of Paris was in a 29-28 defeat for France against South Africa in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal in October.

Dupont's absence from the Six Nations to focus on making the Olympic team did not sit well with many traditionalists.

But, his appearance at the Paris Games was a huge coup, not only for French rugby as a whole, but also the organizers.

"I think it speaks volumes for his passion for representing his country at the Olympic Games," Gilpin said of the Frenchman's decision to skip the Six Nations to focus on sevens, which is often regarded as a poor cousin to the 15-a-side game.

"But, I think it also speaks volumes for his understanding that the Olympic Games is an unbelievable platform for a star player.

"Rugby sevens is great for the Games, and the Games is great for rugby sevens, and that's absolutely what we want."

Gilpin added: "Let's be clear, what Dupont has done is almost impossible."

As for Dupont, he said he was looking forward to taking a holiday, but would not be resting on his laurels.

"Afterwards we start a new season. I'm still young and I have a lot of work to do."

AFP