'You could bang him up there': New position suggested for Dupont

An ex-Scotland forward has suggested a novel new position for Antoine Dupont of France to finish off showing he has the most complete game in the world. The scrum-half was in his element last Saturday, toying with England at Twickenham as the seven-try French ran riot in round four of the Guinness Six Nations.

The France player’s swashbuckling performance tempted retired Scottish lock Jim Hamilton to tweet during the game: “Antoine Dupont is the best player on the planet. By some distance.”

He has since corroborated that comment with a further assessment on the latest episode of The Rugby Pod regarding Dupont and the influence he is currently wielding with France on how to play the game. “To say someone is the best player in the world by some distance is a big statement. As a scrum-half, you very rarely say that,” began Hamilton.

“How many times have you heard in the past that the scrum-half or a scrum-half is hands down the best player in the world? But think about what Dupont does: Yes, he is a scrum-half. Yes, he is a captain and a leader. Yes, he can make breaks. That lad is sitting people when he is sniping. That is one thing.

“He is box kicking off his left, he is box kicking off his right. He is chipping, he is chasing… and he is holding up Mack Hansen, one of the best wingers around, like he is riding a bull at a funfair in the arse-end of France somewhere. He can do anything and everything. It looks like the game is in slow motion.

“I saw something on the BBC, they were using the analogy of like a Ronaldo or a Messi. He is becoming a superstar of rugby. Yes, you can say Caelan Doris, we have talked about him. You have got Ardie Savea… you have got second rows like Maro Itoje and Eben Etzebeth. A lot of players can do that, maybe not as good as each other, but Dupont has the most complete game.

“Like, he could probably play in the second row. You could bang him up there. All he has got to do is take a lineout because can do everything else. He can carry, he can pass, he can kick off both feet, he is quick, he is strong – I am happy to stand by that comment that he is the best player in the world at the minute by a distance.

“Lads were trying to pin him on the floor, but he is that strong that no one can even put him on the floor. How often do you see him out of the game on the floor? You literally don’t. He must be so strong and so powerful.”

Show co-host Andy Goode added: “It’s like he is playing in slow motion, he sees everything. It’s like when Dan Carter was in his pomp, and I played against him at that point. Same with Dupont, not even sweating. Probably covering more metres than anyone else on the field, having more impacts on the game than anyone else on the field and he has not even broken sweat. Looks cool as a cucumber.

“I appreciate from a nine and a 10’s point of view you are touching the ball more than anyone else on the field but you get frazzled at times, so many things come into your mind, defenders flying out everywhere. Defenders fly at Dupont, he steps them, beats them, hands them off, jogs through, makes a break, looks around and makes it easy for everyone else. He is just an absolute talent that right now is the best player in the world.”