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A final suspended by lightning, the twenty-fifth title of a dynasty and a captain limping off towards the biggest question of his career. The weekend of French rugby comes down to one name: Antoine Dupont. Who, according to DanPat, resembles Lionel Messi more than you’d think.
Toulouse, yet another triumph
At the Stade de France, Toulouse beat Montpellier 28-20 to claim the Top 14: a fourth consecutive title, the twenty-fifth in their history. A strange final, halted around the hour mark by a storm that broke over Paris, with Montpellier clawing their way back into the scoreline but unable to complete the comeback.
It is the latest chapter of an almost embarrassing dominance: five of the last seven French shields belong to Toulouse. To grasp how hard it is to stay on top, just look at this season’s Champions Cup, won by UBB Bordeaux: winning repeatedly, in a tournament like that, is the preserve of a select few.
Why Dupont is rugby’s Messi
The parallel, DanPat explains, is not a provocation. Dupont and Messi have won everything with their club, boasted overwhelming athleticism in their prime and off-the-charts technique. But the real similarity lies elsewhere.
They have something that travels faster than everyone else: it’s not the technique, it’s not the athleticism, it’s the mind.
It is the brain that makes the difference: reading the play a fraction earlier, manipulating the defence, arriving where needed at the right moment. Like Messi, who at this World Cup is scoring in bunches despite being among those who run the least, because he knows when and how to do it. Like Michael Jordan, who would announce his feint to his opponent and pull it off anyway. It’s no coincidence that when Dupont is missing, Toulouse stutter: they lack the conductor, not just the talent.
The injury and the southern-hemisphere taboo
Here comes the bitter note. Dupont has broken down again: a scan on 29 June confirmed a calf lesion, a niggle he had carried since the Top 14 semi-final and had gritted his teeth through in the final. He will miss France’s entire summer tour in the Nations Championship, starting with the clash against the All Blacks on 4 July in Christchurch; the uncapped Paul Graou has been called up in his place.
It feels like fate: for years Dupont has not set foot in the southern hemisphere, between Sevens Olympic preparation, injuries and rotated squads. A taboo that fuels the criticism of those, south of the equator, who have long been asking to see him in action.
Who can stop a Dupont World Cup?
The answer, for DanPat, has a name: South Africa. Not just the reigning world champions, but the mind of Rassie Erasmus, already looking to 2031 while everyone else thinks about 2027. The Springbok depth is staggering: twelve tries and an 80-31 thrashing of the Barbarians, and a South Africa “A” — effectively the world-champion Under-20 side — capable of overwhelming Zimbabwe. If the Springboks were to win a third World Cup in a row, DanPat argues, the debate over the best team ever would end right there.
Dupont is 29: ahead of him, in theory, lie two or perhaps three more World Cups. There is time for a Messi-style coronation. But first he must heal — and then break through a South African wall that, today, looks like the only real obstacle.
Read also
Do you agree with the Dupont-Messi parallel? And is South Africa really unbeatable? Watch the Divagazioni di Rugby episode on the DanPat Rugby channel and tell us in the comments.
DANPAT Rugby — interviews, stories and analysis from the world of the oval ball.