France captain Antoine Dupont is set to return for Toulouse this weekend after more than eight months out injured.
The scrumhalf suffered a serious knee injury in March but is expected to be in the French champions’ match 23 for Saturday’s home Top 14 game against Racing 92.
Since October, the 29-year-old Olympic gold medallist has been training with Toulouse, record 24-time French champions, and missed France’s Autumn Nations Series campaign with the issue.
Without Dupont, Les Bleus lost to the Springboks before beating Fiji and Australia, despite the halfback training with the team during the first few days of the Test season.
Earlier this month, he signed a new contract with Toulouse keeping him at the six-time Investec Champions Cup winners until 2031.
He made the dramatic announcement on the Stade Ernest-Wallon pitch during half-time of their win over Stade Francais on 1 November.
“I miss you a lot,” Dupont said. “I hope the next time we see each other I’ll have boots on my feet.”
In October 2024, Dupont made another Toulouse return, having won a gold medal in rugby sevens at the Paris Olympics, and scored a hat-trick in nine minutes against Clermont.
Toulouse lead the Top 14 table after 10 rounds before hosting Racing 92 with the start of the Champions Cup next weekend against the Sharks.
TSHITUKA: Sharks pulling together
“The whole planet tries to defend against him and doesn’t succeed,” Racing head coach Patrice Collazo told reporters on Wednesday. “He is a type of player that is the best at what he does.”
– AFP
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
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