Olympics-Rugby Sevens-Dupont's "Project Paris" pays off magnificently

PARIS (Reuters) – When Antoine Dupont decided to sit out France’s Six Nations campaign to commit himself to the country’s Olympic sevens project, many questioned the rationale of a player widely considered to be one of the best ever to play the XV man game.

Now, as he danced with his team mates with France’s first gold medals of their own Games around their necks after their 28-7 victory over Fiji, it looks an inspired decision.

Dupont was a former world player of the year and three times Six Nations player of the year and the heart and soul of his club and country teams, while the sevens squad were some way off the pace having not even qualified for the Tokyo Olympics.

Dupont had an immediate impact, lifting France to performances and finishes in the sevens world series not seen for decades, though he still found time to switch back and inspire Toulouse to a European Champions Cup and French League title double.

Once the Olympics were underway, however, the poster boy of the sport struggled to make his usual impact as France looked short of sharpness in their early pool games.

The coaches then began starting with Stephen Parez-Edo Martin and using Dupont as an impact replacement.

Many questioned it, but it also looks a carefully considered approach. In the quarter-final he came on to manage the game brilliantly in the second half as Argentina were threatening a comeback before running clear to score a try at the death.

Though his influence was less in the semi-final as Rayan Rebbadj took centre stage with two tries as France came from behind to overwhelm South Africa 19-5, he saved his extraordinary best for the final.

It was tight and tense at 7-7 against the double-defending champions Fiji but, almost with his first touch, Dupont tore off down the left wing then showed all his rugby nous to slam the brakes on and feed Aaron Grandidier Nkanang for France’s second try.

With the crowd in a frenzy, Dupont then forced his way over for the key third try and with the match already decided, he put the icing on the cake, taking a tap-penalty and charging through for his second try on the hooter.

“When I came the first day I wondered what I was doing here, if I made the choice to not play the Six Nations was the good one,” Dupont said.

“But the atmosphere tonight was amazing, not common for us, and we had to embrace it.”

“The team spirit was remarkable tonight. I’ve rarely heard such an atmosphere here in Stade de France. They made a lot of noise and we had to give them back, to put this Olympics on the right rails,” he added.

Dupont’s name earned the biggest cheer of the medal presentation but, as ever, it was a team achievement built on a national commitment to sevens that had long been absent.

“We lived incredible moments in this stadium, with a crazy atmosphere,” said Antoine Zeghdar.

“We were training for this for a long time, we ate Olympics, we slept Olympics, we cannot be happier. It was exceptional.”

(Editing by Toby Davis)