2023-10-02 01:14:08
That’s it, he’s really back. The captain of the XV of France Antoine Dupont, who joined the France group late Saturday evening, resumed training this Sunday noon in Aix-en-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône), ten days after his facial fracture against Namibia, in Marseille.
The scrum half and playing master of the Blues was seen around 12:15 p.m. leaving the tent which adjoins the training ground of the XV of France at the Georges Carcassonne stadium. He was accompanied by the health manager of the French staff, physiotherapist Bruno Boussagol, and physical trainer Gaëtan Boissard.
About thirty minutes of effort
Under the sun, Antoine Dupont first ran at a moderate pace, then took short steps while making passes. He also kicked and even placed a few accelerations along the field where his partners were training at the same time. The whole thing lasted about thirty minutes. Another training session for the Blues, part of which is open to the press, is scheduled for this Sunday afternoon.
The captain of the Blues received the green light on Friday from surgeon Frédéric Lauwers, who operated on him at the Purpan University Hospital in Toulouse on September 22, to resume “directed progressive physical activity which will be done under the control of the medical staff of the XV of France,” the FFR said on Saturday in a press release.
Too tight to face Italy
In images shot on Sunday by a team from TF1, the official broadcaster, Antoine Dupont appeared smiling in the morning among his partners. The scrum half still sports a cockade under his right eye as a mark of his clash with the Namibian Johan Deysel, suspended for five weeks.
“Welcome to Antoine, back among us,” declared Blues manager Raphaël Ibañez in the preamble to a group meeting. Before Dupont was applauded by his comrades, as was the case for Anthony Jelonch upon his return to the group in mid-August. The channel also broadcast images showing him doing physical exercises under the tent set up along the lawn.
The scrum half will be too tight to face Italy on Friday evening (9 p.m.) at Décines-Charpieu, in the suburbs of Lyon, during the last group match in this World Cup. The objective, for him and the staff, is for him to be fit for the potential quarter-final on Sunday October 15, probably against South Africa.
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