Six Nations Tournament: A few days before the Crunch, an English player tries to destabilize Antoine Dupont

Tommy Freeman provoque Dupont avant le Crunch. MAXPPP

À l’approche du Crunch, un joueur anglais a lancé les hostilités en minimisant l’impact d’Antoine Dupont. Un pari risqué, qui pourrait bien se retourner contre lui si le capitaine des Bleus décide de répondre sur le terrain.

It is impossible to imagine a Crunch without a bit of English provocation beforehand. This year is no exception. True to form, the players of the XV de la Rose have already launched hostilities. While England and France are preparing to do battle this Saturday at Twickenham for the second day of the Six Nations Tournament.

In a context where the English are struggling to regain their brilliance, full-back Tommy Freeman has tried a bold approach: minimizing the impact of Antoine Dupont. A risky choice against a player who has made a habit of silencing his detractors on the field.

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A Crunch under high tension

Beaten by Ireland (27-22) at the opening of the Tournament, England is not approaching this Crunch in the best frame of mind. The XV de la Rose remains on six defeats in its last seven confrontations against the Blues. A statistic that could inspire caution, but Tommy Freeman prefers to adopt an uninhibited discourse.

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“We must not underestimate how good he is, but he is human. Like everyone else, if you grab his legs, he falls“, declared the English full-back for the Telegraph. A way of saying that Dupont is not untouchable and that strong pressure could be enough to make him fail. “When you put a player under pressure, he starts to let opportunities slip“, he added.

Dupont, the response on the field

These comments are reminiscent of those of some supporters of the Durban Sharks last January, who minimized Dupont's role in the European Cup. Result ? The captain of the Blues was brilliant and guided Stade Toulousain to a victory (8-20).

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Likewise, last Friday, for his first match of the Tournament against Wales (43-0 victory), Dupont once again responded on the field with three assists and a high-flying performance. If Freeman hopes to contain him, he will have to be careful: history has often shown that provoking Dupont is to expose oneself to a full-blown disappointment.

Facing a confident French team, England will have a lot at stake this Saturday, February 8. And if Freeman really thought that Dupont was a player like any other, he risks having it confirmed… at his expense.