LONDON (AP) — France will try to win the Six Nations without its talisman after captain Antoine Dupont ruptured cruciate ligaments in his right knee at the weekend.
Dupont was confident his teammates can take their first title since 2022 next Saturday — “You will do it,” he wrote on Instagram — after demolishing defending champion Ireland 42-27 in Dublin. The scoreline flattered Ireland, whose hopes of an historic third successive title in the Six Nations era were crushed.
By the time France faces Scotland in Paris in the tournament finale it will know what it has to do as second-placed England and third-placed Ireland will have finished their campaigns against Wales in Cardiff and Italy in Rome respectively.
England used a licence to thrill to wallop Italy 47-24 on Sunday, a day after Scotland held off a Wales fightback 35-29 at Murrayfield.
Here's the AP's take on a penultimate round with 27 tries:
The big game
The biggest match of the championship lived up to the hype in Dublin, and superstar Antoine Dupont played only a fleeting part. Ironically, thumping winner France had more gripes with the game than Ireland afterward because of how Dupont suffered his tournament-ending, possibly season-ending knee injury. But there will be no sanction against Ireland players for the ruck clearout by the citing commissioner. Seeing the captain injured and crying in the changing room at halftime spurred France to even greater heights in the second half. It was the perfect payback for France. Last year in Marseille, it suffered a red card and Ireland won with its highest score on French soil, 38. This time, Irish ill-discipline helped France post its highest score on Irish soil, 42. The hosts played a man short for 20 minutes each against Wales and France in the latest rounds and conceded 15 points during the down times in both games. But while Ireland was good enough to get away with it against Wales, it wasn't against France. The visitor's powerful second-half surge was also underpinned by terrific defense in the first 15 minutes that repelled wave after wave of Irish attackers. The stats didn't lie: By halftime, France had made 106 tackles to Ireland's mere 40, and six dominant to none by Ireland. After being knocked over then run over, Ireland conceded its most points at home in 20 years.
Are backs endangered?
South Africa debuted the ‘bomb squad,’ a reserves bench with an almost second pack of forwards, in 2019. The traditional forwards-backs split is 5-3. The first time the Springboks went to an extreme 7-1 was in 2023. Since the tactic has helped them win the last two Rugby World Cups, other teams with powerful depth have made the choice in vogue. For the first time this winter, Ireland went to 6-2 to counter France's second ever 7-1. France's first time was two weeks ago when it beat Italy 73-24. England and Italy went 6-2. Scotland and Wales were traditional. Critics of bomb squads say it goes against the spirit of the game and discriminates against backs. World Rugby won't say where it stands until it finishes researching the injury risk of tactical replacements. A bomb squad is a gamble on not bearing any excessive injuries to backs, but teams plan contingencies. At the weekend, France used its only back reserve, the superb Maxime Lucu, when Antoine Dupont was hurt. And when midfielder Pierre-Louis Barassi left with a head knock, he was seamlessly replaced by flanker Oscar Jegou. England also used a hybrid forward for center Fraser Dingwall. Flanker Ben Earl returned for the last few minutes and scored the last try.
England says ‘Grazie’
Italy at Twickenham came at the perfect time for England. The English put a blowtorch on themselves for the last two weeks by the ho-hum way in which they overcame Scotland last time out. Too much kicking and too little attacking intent were ammunition for critics, many of them England greats. New captain Maro Itoje hit back saying the attack wasn't as bad as its said to be. Cue Italy, which has never beaten England but isn't afraid to play. Ironically, Italy scored the two best tries at Twickenham, finished by Ross Vintcent and Ange Capuozzo, but its willingness to have a go exposed it to turnovers in the wrong places and played into England's more clinical expertise. England's 47 points were its most in the championship since 2019 when it put 57 on Italy and 44 on France. Left with only a visit to winless Wales in Cardiff, England has tallied 15 tries, its most since 2019 also. For a team which was losing games it should have won not long ago, it has completed a three-game home stand against the blue shirts — France, Scotland, Italy — with a hat trick of wins. England is only a point behind leader France going into the final round.
Lions watch
While nearly all of his Scotland teammates rested during the Six Nations' last fallow weekend, Blair Kinghorn played a full game at fullback for his Toulouse club and bagged a try in a French Top 14 thrashing of Vannes. Kinghorn then flew back to Edinburgh and gave an all-action, two-try effort against Wales. So enamored of him was TV that it even live broadcast him being ill on the pitch. Kinghorn has never been on a Lions tour but his ability to also play wing and flyhalf boosts his credentials. Rookie teammate Tom Jordan also touched down twice, appearing to be feeling more comfortable at inside center. They were maestroed by Finn Russell, who was also 5-for-5 off the tee after failing against England. Other weekend standouts included Wales captain Jac Morgan and former captain Dafydd Jenkins, Ireland skipper Caelan Doris on the occasion of his 50th cap, and England forwards Ollie Chessum and Tom Curry, who hobbled off after 55 strong minutes against Italy.
___
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
Foster Niumata, The Associated Press
