The captain of the Blues should be able to return to his team soon. Victim of a broken jaw on Thursday during the match against Namibia, will he be able to play in the blue jersey by the end of the World Cup?
The captain of the XV of France, Antoine Dupont, should return to his team “within a few days”, announced the French Rugby Federation in a press release published on Saturday September 23, in the morning. The player suffered a maxillo-zygomatic fracture following an impact during the France-Namibia match on Thursday September 21. He was operated on the next day at the Purpan University Hospital in Toulouse where two plates were placed on his face during an operation called osteosynthesis. This consists of consolidating the bone fragments of his jaw and cheekbone. According to the same press release, Dupont “will be able to return to the French team in a process of gradual sporting resumption and under medical supervision”.
If this return seems to be good news, no one knows today when, or even if, Antoine Dupont will be able to wear the blue jersey during this World Cup. The experts who deal with his state of health have not given a precise date for his return but, according to information from Parisians from sources close to the XV of France, the captain should return to training within ten days. According to the same sources, the scrum-half could return to competition within three to four weeks if his convalescence goes as planned. We can therefore hope that Antoine Dupont will put on his jersey for the quarter-final, scheduled for October 14 or 15.
If on the field, this Thursday, September 21, the XV of France signed its biggest victory in the history of the Rugby World Cup against Namibia with a score of 96 to 0, the Blues may have lost their captain and best player in the world, Antoine Dupont, following head-to-head contact with Namibia player Johan Deysel, earning him a red card a few minutes later. Released after a concussion protocol, the Stade Toulousain player, grimacing in pain as he left the match, left very quickly for the Aix en Provence hospital to undergo examinations.
Very quickly, rumors spoke of a much more serious injury with a suspected fracture. The official diagnosis finally came overnight and confirmed by a press release from the FFR on Friday morning, Antoine Dupont does indeed suffer from a maxillo-zygomatic fracture.
“We always have hope that Antoine will continue the adventure with us and the XV of France. That’s why we’re going to give ourselves two or three days to really get the opinion of the specialist who can say what “this is exactly the case. […] We don’t want to think too quickly about what could happen,” explained Laurent Labit immediately after the injury.
Like basketball players or footballers, more and more players can play with a mask and we have already seen rugby players wearing them like the Frenchman Imanol Harinordoquy. Problem, a mask must be approved by World Rugby because it is not part of the authorized equipment.
In the details of the regulation, it is clearly specified that “equipment that is sharp, abrasive or contains buckles, clips, rings, hinges, zippers, screws, bolts or rigid materials are prohibited (…) In general , any protection not expressly authorized is prohibited.” Rugby being a contact sport, any protection could endanger the health of Antoine Dupont and also that of the opponent.
The Englishman Brad Barritt, who had suffered a fractured cheekbone with the Saracens and who found himself on the field a few days later, had undergone an operation on his side with the installation of a metal plate. This would also be another alternative for Antoine Dupont.
But beyond the accessory that Antoine Dupont could wear, his physical condition could also be a problem. With his broken jaw, eating and hydrating will be difficult actions to carry out and the Frenchman could lose physical condition and rhythm if his downtime is too long. Furthermore, the shock was severe and World Rugby management no longer really jokes with concussion protocols.
If Antoine Dupont wants to play again, he will certainly have to undergo examinations via independent doctors, declaring him fit to play a rugby match.
