Antoine Dupont aims for the 2027 World Cup and remains cautious about the future

Antoine Dupont already has ants in his legs. And dream of Australia. As he begins a new season under the colors of Stade Toulousain (which moves to the La Rochelle lawn, Sunday at 9:05 p.m.), the international scrum-half delivered on the World Cup deadline (October 1-November 13, 2027), the last trophy missing from his disproportionate record. “It starts now. To have the seriousness, the requirement, the concentration to be efficient in October 2027,” confides the person concerned at the microphone of RMC Sport.

After a season made difficult by his return from injury and a lack of sequence, the native of Castelnau-Magnoac measures the importance of the year ahead. “We have enough short-term objectives to project ourselves into the present moment and be able to concentrate on the deadlines that are coming.” And added: “We have the Nations Cup in November, the European Club Cup and everything that will follow, the Tournament as well. We have lots of small short-term goals. But obviously in the back of my mind it’s to prepare for the World Cup.”

Also read “Finding yourself every day on your sofa, with tears in your eyes…”: the confidences of Jonathan Danty, former center of the XV of France, eleven months after his serious injury

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“I think that our entire generation missed the 2023 meeting”

Three years after the trauma of the quarter-final elimination against South Africa, the captain of the French XV does not lack motivation: “I think that our entire generation missed the 2023 meeting. There we will have the chance, the opportunity I hope, to do better. Obviously we all have this goal in mind and for most, it may be our last too. So we know that there won't be any other chances and I hope that that will motivate us not to put additional pressure on ourselves, but on the contrary to give us more energy and drive to go and get it.

And the United States, in 2031? The person concerned, who will then be 33 years old, wants to be cautious: “The legs will be different, the age will be advanced. So I hope to be able to do it, but we cannot know what tomorrow brings. So we might as well be in the present for the moment.”