Two questions tortured rugby sevens fans before the start of the Los Angeles tournament: Was Antoine Dupont going to have his first start with the French team after his appearance in Vancouver last weekend?
And above all, above all, was he going to wear those strange black tights again?
Answer 1: Yes.
Answer 2: No.
Bare legs but in the starting 7 to face Canada in the Blues' first match on Saturday morning, the rugby union star continues his express adaptation.
It was even he who, with a try full of speed, concluded the rather quiet victory of the French (24-7) against valiant but technically limited Canadians.
Receiving a cross, Dupont accelerated to cross half the field and finish the job while the Blues had already won the match.
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Antoine Dupont perfectly concludes the start of the Blues in this Los Angeles tournament, victory 24-7 đź‘Ź
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— francetvsport (@francetvsport) March 2, 2024
This is already Dupont's 4th attempt at 7, after his three last weekend.
Before him, one of the captains of the Blues Stephen Parez had scored his 100th try to allow the French team to take off.
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Small event in Los Angeles, Stephen Parez 🇫🇷 scores his 100th try on the world circuit 🤩
The Blues lead 17-7 against the Canadians.
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— francetvsport (@francetvsport) March 2, 2024
Holder, Dupont remained on the field throughout the match, proving that he adapts perfectly to the much more intense pace of the 7. “He has good endurance, he is fit, and he is fit for the 7,” praised Stephen Parez after the meeting.
He will improve after each match.
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What follows, for the Blues and Dupont, is the end of the group matches.
Well underway towards the quarters, they will be able to ensure their qualification against Great Britain (Saturday at 6:52 p.m.) before offering themselves a nice test against the reigning double Olympic champions Fiji (Saturday at 11:22 p.m.).