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The Antoine Dupont naysayers have made a valid point after his Olympic gold

Antoine Dupont of of France with his gold medal after gold medal match between France and Fiji on day one of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on July 27, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Markus Gilliar - GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)

France superstar Antoine Dupont became an Olympic gold medalist in rugby sevens as France defeated Fiji 28-7, and in Dupont fashion he scored a double at Stade de France.

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The stunning success story in 7s came in a year where Dupont was playing 15s for Toulouse, before switching over late in the sevens’ season to represent France enough times to be eligible for the Olympics.

With Dupont on the SVNS circuit, France capture the Los Angeles event and the Grand Final in Madrid in the final event of the series.

Having secured an Olympic gold, the incredible achievement adds to his long list of achievements, in the 15s game and now 7s, to build a resume worthy of the “GOAT” debate.

The 2021 World Player of the Year in men’s 15s has now won four Top 14 titles, two European Cups, one Six Nations Grand Slam, one SVNS series and now one Olympic gold medal.

Dupont’s supporters came out in force to end the greatest of all time debate, with the Olympic gold the cherry on top for one of the best athletes the game has ever seen.

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Not everyone is convince however, with many other 15s stars dominating in 7s making the feat “not unprecedented” while Dupont was a “cameo player” for his side.

The naysayers were able to raise a valid point in the debate over whether Dupont is the greatest of them all, and that is all his success has been in Europe.

Due to France’s league-focused approach which sees the national stars absent from July tours, Dupont has never travelled to Australia, New Zealand or South Africa and won a Test match.

He made his Test debut on the 2017 tour of South Africa and came off the bench in the second Test. France lost the series 3-0.

In 2021 France travelled to Australia to face the Wallabies, Dupont did not travel and France lost the series 2-1.

In 2025 the FFR have indicated again he will not tour to New Zealand to face the All Blacks on home turf.

One of the definitive traits of greatness in sports is the ability to win away from home.

If he does not tour in 2025 to New Zealand, Dupont’s next meaningful visit in the southern hemisphere could be the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia where the No 9 could kill two birds with one stone.

The “missing piece” to some on Dupont’s resume is the Rugby World Cup. France’s best team “in a generation” were bundled out of their home World Cup at the quarter-final stage last year.

Dupont will be 29-years-old in 2027 and is likely to still be one of the best players in the world, and France will likely be a favoured contender again.

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28 Comments
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Alain65 310 days ago

M. Antoine DUPONT est un très grand joueur. Il a gagné 2 Champions Cup Européennes, plusieurs TOP 14, Le Grand Chelem des VI Nations, le Champion Seven de Madrid et maintenant la médaille d’Or des J.O. de PARIS 2024 ! Il a été élu meilleur joueur du Monde en 2021. Qui peut se targuer d’un tel C.V. ? Personne. Aujourd’hui, il est UN si n’est LE meilleur grand joueur du Monde. Même s’il lui manque la Coupe du Monde, ceux qui l’ont gagné n’ont pas un aussi important palmarès que lui. D’ailleurs, certains très grands joueurs comme Jonny WILKINSON, Gareth EDWARDS, Ardie SAVEA, Dan CARTER et bien d’autres le qualifient d’immense joueur ! Alors, pas de polémique, c’est LE MEILLEUR GRAND JOUEUR DU MONDE. MERCI.

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Turlough 311 days ago

It is simply nonsense to say that only a player who has a World Cup medal can be considered for greatness. Not suprisingly it is a posistion held by some SA and NZ players as it limits the pool top those nationalities (bar England’s win.)


Serge Blanco was beaten in the RWC final by NZ. Would anyone dare not call Serge Blanco a great?


Anyone watching Dupont in action in the 6N or Champions League or Test matches knows how great he is. In the Champions league final he personally won 4 jackal penalties, kicked 2 x 50:22s from behind rucks and kicked immensely apart from that.

That was what Toulouse needed, Dupont was the best at it.


To insist that Dupont can only be counted as great if a team he is in wins a RWC is plainly wrong.

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Rob 311 days ago

To throw it back in their faces a little, Jonah Lomu never won the World Cup, he did get a 7s gold though 👀

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GrandDisse 311 days ago

Don’t really get the “bench cameo player” point. At a time the springboks “bomb squad” is praised, not sure why being a bench player is less valuable.

Moreover when you come out of the bench for the second half - hence playing half of the match - which is when your team manages to score more points.

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Tommy B. 311 days ago

Parisse was the best number 8 I’ve ever seen; O’Driscoll the best centre; and Lomu the player who had the biggest contemporary impact on his era of any player before or since. Not a RWC winner amongst them. Parisse’s teams only won a handful of matches, and the Irish didn’t achieve much in O’Driscoll’s era.

Dupont is, quite simply, the best player in terms of the combination of range of skillsets and athletic ability there has been.

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Rob 311 days ago

1st six nations grand slam, beating SA consistently and beating australia away, at the start of O’Driscolls career our biggest challenge was considered to be France just for perspective, the only thing that really eluded him was a win against NZ leaving out world cups you know

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Jen 312 days ago

Seems like a pretty narrow scope of reference to be calling him the GOAT. Yep, he’s undeniably a great player but let’s see how he goes outside of Europe.

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Turlough 311 days ago

Irish Teams don’t have any issues outside of Europe. There is no Irish player close to Dupont. Why should he only be counted as ‘Great’ if his team gets certain results. We are talking about an individual not a great team.

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Tommy B. 311 days ago

What do you mean? How he goes, or how his team goes?

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Tv 312 days ago

He is a great player but Kolbe won the same Competitions as him bar the Olympic Gold but instead he won two World Cups

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Tommy B. 311 days ago

No, the teams Kolbe played for won two RWCs.

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TO 312 days ago

He needs to win and be the leading light in SA and NZ. World Cup success outside of Europe would achieve it as well. You can't cherry pick your path to greatness ask Nick Farr Jones, Fourie Du Preez and even Matt Dawson.

After all, if the claim is to be considered amongst “ The Greatest Of All Time “, then the resume has to at least match your contemporaries.

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Tommy B. 311 days ago

No it doesn’t. The ‘resume’ is decided by the 23 man squad you play in. How good a player you are is assessed by your skill set and athletic ability.

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Tom 312 days ago

GOAT

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jb 312 days ago

As a South African I will say Dupont is the best talent I have ever seen. Or at least in the last 40 years. He is like a Joost and Fourie in one. Why are people so blind to giving credit where credit is due? Dupont has been the best player on the planet for 4 years straight now. Winning a world cup don’t mean much. I know many players that won 2 and will not ever feature in a top 10 of all time list. When we beat France in the QF last year Dupont was tbe best player on the pitch. So what does that tell you? Dupont can also turn the argument around and say, no olympic gold then no right to call yourself the best ever.

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Tommy B. 311 days ago

Everyone can see it - except Kiwis, who are, as we know…err…’special.’

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Tom 312 days ago

That is exactly it. There have been players before with incredible strengths. Dupont has all of their strengths combined into one player. There has never been anyone like him.

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Lou Cifer 312 days ago

Greatest NH player at best 👀 like I’ve said before this is all too soon. let him complete his career & we’ll have a look again how he stacks up.


This does not mean that he is not a great player or not super talented or doesn’t do some amazing things on the pitch, but it also means he definitely ain’t the GOAT with his current career as it stands.

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Tom 312 days ago

You don't have to have had a glittering career to be the GOAT. Perisse was an incredible player who barely won a test match. Dupont is the most complete player I've ever seen, he's got it all.

B
Bull Shark 312 days ago

Even if he is the greatest - one 6N title in 6 years and a gold medal for the French 7s team is hardly that much to write home about. Suggest he knuckles down for his French 15s team and produce the goods. Or else the French team of his era will go down as perennial underachievers.

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CR 313 days ago

They act as if their opinions of him make him the goat. The facts are he’s an Olympic gold medalist. Congratulations to him. Would I have selected him ahead of Joost in his prime. I would not, but it’s just an opinion that everyone is entitled to.

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Tommy B. 311 days ago

What aspect of Joost’s play do you consider to have been superior to Dupont’s?

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Tom 312 days ago

Everyone outside of SA would though. :)


Joost was a truly great player but Dupont is the most talented player of any position and any era. He's a freak. He's got footwork, gas, incredible strength, amazing footy skills, leadership, vision, playmaking, defends like a 4th loosie. He's the most complete player there has ever been.

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TazT 313 days ago

What a great body of work he has presented in all competitions over his career. He can be acclaimed now as the GOAT until someone else can beat that. And that is from an AB and Hurricanes long term fan. Well done Antoine!!

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Spew_81 1 hour ago
Broken hand or not, Richie Mo'unga is still New Zealand's best 10

His family was financially secure before future in going to Japan. Now they will only have to work if they feel like it :)


It’s not like the amateur era, he would made about four million staying in New Zealand in the 2024-2027 cycle. He ultimately chose a few million extra going to Japan. Easy to understand if was still going to get the cold shoulder from the coaches. But Roberston poised to make Mo’unga the corner stone. It was Mo’unga’s chance to end the debate as to who was the best 10 in New Zealand.


Yes, it’s possible to get a career ending injury at any time playing rugby. But that doesn’t often happen. Even most really bad injuries only take one season to recover from (yes there are outliers, but that’s rare). Even if he lost a season, he would still bring home four million.


He could’ve been the difference between an All Black team that is second (probably lucky to be second) and an All Black team that is number one. Also, the current high earners only can earn highly because the New Zealand rugby system made them as good as they are. Beneficiaries of that system should look to give back to the system and to the fans. Yes, it’s a risk for the individual, but it’s a risk many took before him. New Zealand rugby is a fragile thing. The NZRU can barely make money most years. The sponsors won’t pay the same for a mid-ranked team as they will for team that is number one.


We’ve discussed this before and I know you see it the other way :)

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S
Spew_81 1 hour ago
Broken hand or not, Richie Mo'unga is still New Zealand's best 10

The coaches who like those ideas ( e.g. non specialist/positionless/play what’s in front of you rugby) are often successful innovators e.g. Hansen, W Smith, E Jones etc.


I think they get it in their head that they have to be constantly innovating to stay on top. Sometimes the best thing is just to focus on the basics/current pattern.


To a degree I think that that type of coach gets bored - unless they are trying to break the mold. But also, their success to that point and personality type won’t allow them to drop the new idea and admit they were wrong.


Much like when the All Blacks were going to have a ‘flat backline’ in the Henry era. They were adamant that it was going to work, eventually. They were prepared to lose a few tests to achieve it. After the 2009 season (losing 0-3 to the Springboks) they were more than willing to give up 20 meters to offset the 'rush defense’. They generally go that 20 meters back and more on top. It was to Henry’s credit be changed how the backline worked e.g. abandoned the ‘flat backline’ and dropped the power wings for three fullback/right wings.


With the benefit of 20/20 hindsight: a Cruden(10)/B Barrett(15) combo might’ve been better for the 2016-2019 cycle; and a Mo’unga(10)/B Barrett(15) combo might’ve been better for the 2016-2019 cycle. Then maybe Mo’unga(10)/Jordan (15) [with McKenzie at reserve 9] for the 2020-2023 cycle.


I went off the deep end a bit the end of the comment, see who reads that far down :)

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LONG READ Broken hand or not, Richie Mo'unga is still New Zealand's best 10 Broken hand or not, Richie Mo'unga is still New Zealand's best 10
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