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Antoine Dupont helps France end 19-year drought with SVNS win in LA
By Finn Morton
For the first time in 19 years, France have won a Cup final on the SVNS Series with marquee addition Antoine Dupont playing a starring role during their road to history-making glory.
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Dupont, who is a former World Rugby Player of the Year in 15s, put on a clinic against Ireland in a thrilling semi-final on Sunday afternoon before taking a backseat in the decider.
Playmaker Stephen Parez-Edo Martin was named to start for Les Bleus as they looked to lock up their first piece of series silverware since the Paris leg of the 2004/5 season.
Top of the mountain 🇫🇷🇳🇿🏆#HSBCSVNS | #HSBCSVNSLAX pic.twitter.com/xFU6dWfzH4
— HSBC SVNS (@SVNSSeries) March 4, 2024
It was a tense start to the final as Great Britain slowly made their way up the field, but it very quickly became clear who the victors would be at the end of the night.
Antoine Zeghdar, Stephen Parez-Edo Martin and Theo Forner all crossed as this French team etched their names into the record books with a dominant 21-nil win.
“I don’t think I have really realised yet. When I get back home and spend time with my family I’ll get to realise what has happened,” France’s William Iraguha told RugbyPass.
“I’m so proud of the group. We worked so hard for this and we’ve been waiting for it for such a long time.
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“Last year we lost in the final, it was my first final personally, but I think we all had this feeling that it must be today.
“I don’t think I have much more words to explain how I feel.”
France were pipped by eventual runners-up New Zealand in last weekend’s SVNS Vancouver semi-final, but it still felt that history was within reach.
Les Bleus knocked over Canada and eventual-finalists Great Britain in pool play, and got the better of the United States and Ireland on their way to the big dance.
“Obviously we didn’t kick off the season as well as we would’ve wished. We struggled a bit but kept on going up, going up,” Iraguha said.
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“Last week in Vancouver we lost by two points in the semi and just knew, as I said, it’s just so close yet so far.
“We said now if we make it to the semis this weekend there’s no way we can’t just go all the way.
“Everybody played their part and we won. It’s a wonderful feeling… I’m so, so happy, I finally won a tournament.”
