Injured, but not yet forfeited. Coming out hit in the face in the 46th minute of the France-Namibia match (96-0), Thursday September 21, after a violent clash with center Johan Deysel, Antoine Dupont went in the evening to the Provence hospital to be examinations, which revealed a “maxillo-zygomatic fracture”. “We still have hope that he will continue the adventure with the XV of France”said Laurent Labit, the coach of the French forwards, Friday September 22, explaining that the France group will wait “48 to 72 hours” to define, with the advice of a specialist, the unavailability of the scrum half.
Decisive days are therefore ahead for the future of Toulouse. As announced by the Olympic Midday, the rugby bible, and RMC Sport, Antoine Dupont will leave Aix-en-Provence to return home, to the “Pink City”. On site, he will be received at the Purpan hospital by Professor Frédéric Lauwers, a specialist in maxillofacial surgery and facial plastics. He will be responsible for determining the nature and severity of his injury. At this stage, “everything can be considered”, indicated Fabien Galthié’s deputy. Either an operation, which would definitively push the French captain to the sidelines until the end of the World Cup, or a treatment protocol to be respected with a view to a resumption, hoped for a potential half (October 20 or 21).