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The Blair Kinghorn verdict on 'normal bloke' Antoine Dupont
By Liam Heagney
Scotland international Blair Kinghorn has shed light on what it is like having Antoine Dupont as his Toulouse teammate. It was around this time last year when the long-serving Edinburgh player quit the URC for the Top 14 and his one-year anniversary was celebrated in smashing fashion with last Sunday’s 61-21 hammering of Ulster.
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France scrum-half Dupont was unplayable in that Investec Champions Cup opener and his swashbuckling performance was capped by his mesmerising kicked assist to put Ange Capuozzo in at the corner for a 57th-minute try.
Kinghorn has since made a guest appearance on the latest Rugby Pod show and he explained to co-hosts Andy Goode and Jim Hamilton what it is like to have Dupont as a teammate. “It’s funny, you always get asked about him because people are so interested because he is the best player in the world. Is he the best player of all-time? Maybe. Who knows. I don’t know. Do you know?
“From a rugby point of view, the stuff he does in training, how hard he works, the stuff that you see at the weekend there, his kick-pass score-assist to Ange in the corner, it’s not by chance that is happening, the amount of time you will see him do that in training pre, post and during training you understand how he is so accurate around game day, he practices so much.
“From a non-rugby point, he is just a normal bloke to be honest. He is so famous and he performs so well, you feel like could that have gone to someone’s head but it’s not the case there.
“He is just so chilled, just a good bloke, like to hang out, going out for food the whole time, have a bit of banter here and there. Just like a normal guy who looks to hang out with his friends and turns up at the weekend and does his things. He is not bigger in the team. I don’t think he views himself like that at all. Just a general all-round good lad.”
Asked was there a player in the Toulouse side whose ability took him by surprise, Kinghorn claimed he had his eyes opened by hooker Peato Mauvaka. “He is probably one of the most skilful players I have ever come across,” he enthused.
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“When is just mucking around at training pre or post training he is just like always has a ball in his hands, he doesn’t drop balls. Someone will chuck a ball and he is just grabbing it with one hand, playing football the whole time, just all these small skills – he just nails it.
“He caught me right by surprise. One of the best ball handlers in the team, so skilful. He gets a lot of praise now for the stuff that he is doing in the French team.
“I remember watching in the World Cup when Julian Marchand got injured and Peato had come on early in that New Zealand game and he was carving up. Who is this guy, what is going on? Going to play with him, he is just crazy. He is a funny bloke as well but his skills are top.”
Riding the Storm: Champions Cup Drama & Blair Kinghorn's French Revolution ???
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As highlighted by Kinghorn Mauvaka handling abilities are impressive for a hooker: he can grab the ball in any position. So that he outpaced Julien Marchand in both Toulouse and France.
On occasion, after being subbed around 50th minute, he returns from the bench to play flanker. I reckon he would be alright at center as well.