1 year ago
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France's astonishing record-breaking triumph implicit England astatine Twickenham was 1 of the astir implicit performances seen successful the past of the Six Nations.
There were superb displays passim the French squad but determination was 1 idiosyncratic who erstwhile again was relentless successful his brilliance.
Captain Antoine Dupont, the 2021 World Player of the Year, was the maestro who ran the rugby masterclass. The 26-year-old emphasised his presumption arsenic an all-time large arsenic France ran successful 7 tries successful a grounds triumph implicit their aged rivals.
"He is Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane," said erstwhile England scrum-half Matt Dawson during Radio 5 Live commentary.
"There was a small infinitesimal erstwhile helium was connected the retreat, turned astir and did this beauteous scan of the tract - it was similar watching Arnold Schwarzenegger successful the Terminator wherever everything goes digital.
"He played this speedy small chip, executed it perfectly and France were distant again."
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Ex-England fly-half Paul Grayson was impressed by Dupont's "power output".
"It's astir similar idiosyncratic has compressed a Chevrolet bull into a tiny small scrum-half. He is immensely strong," helium said.
"He conscionable picked Marcus Smith up and marched him and 2 oregon 3 England players backmost implicit his line. He is the implicit existent deal."
Dupont's kicking, including this footwear disconnected his alleged weaker near foot, kept pegging England back'I privation to person a photograph with him'
After different portion of Dupont accomplishment launched different France attack, Dawson returned to the prima qualities of Dupont, who was taken disconnected aft 68 minutes with France having emphatically ended immoderate hopes of an England fightback.
"I privation to conscionable him," said Dawson. "I person ne'er met him.
"There is simply a portion of me, I privation to person a photograph with him. I privation my kids to person a photo. He is that benignant of player."
'One blur of bluish brilliance'
After the match, Dawson explained wherefore Dupont is truthful acold up of the remainder of the world's scrum-halves.
"For this era, helium plays the game... he's wholly antithetic from immoderate different scrum-half," helium told the Rugby Union Daily podcast.
"It's arsenic if helium is playing successful my epoch wherever determination was a batch much abstraction and scrum-halves could person a go.
"They could marque a fool of immoderate of the forwards but you can't bash that successful this time and age. There's nary space. The backmost enactment are ace quick. You're not jinking astir them truthful overmuch immoderate more.
"His delivery, his kicking, the 50:22 disconnected the near ft was ridiculous. It's endless.
"Put everything speech and ticker him. I couldn't database the 7 tries, it's each benignant of 1 blur of bluish brilliance."
'His skillset is perfectly outrageous'
Dupont prepares to tackle Marcus Smith implicit his ain tryline, resulting successful a 2nd effort for Charles OllivonEngland scrum-half Natasha Hunt said she was successful awe of the French talisman.
"He is conscionable brilliant," Hunt told BBC Two's Six Nations Rugby Special. "The much I ticker this guy, the much I'm successful awe of him.
"Around the ruck helium is conscionable truthful devastating, helium sits defenders down, truthful that gives you front-foot ball.
"His skillset is perfectly outrageous and helium is connected apical of his crippled astatine the moment.
"I can't archer you however hard it is to person specified a bully kicking crippled disconnected some feet."
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