France's scrum-half and captain Antoine Dupont (R) attends a training session in Marcoussis, south of Paris, on November 06, 2024, as part of the preparation for the Autumn international rugby union match between France and Japan. (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP)
Paris: Scrumhalf Antoine Dupont returns to captain France when it begins its autumn test campaign against Japan at Stade de France on Saturday.
It's the same stadium where he inspired France to a gold medal in sevens at the Paris Olympics, scoring two tries against Fiji in the final. But also where he experienced heartbreak as France agonizingly lost by one point to South Africa in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals one year ago.
Dupont took a sabbatical to learn sevens and ended up stealing the show from Fiji's dazzlers. This time he is leading Fabien Galthié’s XV, having marked his return at club level for Toulouse with a superb quickfire hat trick coming off the bench.
Right winger Damian Penaud looks to extend his national record with a 37th international try. For club side Union Bordeaux-Bègles he has already scored five in six games this season, the same tally as teammate Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who lines up on the left wing for France.
Galthié's side has versatility.
Léo Barré wins his fifth test cap at fullback to allow Thomas Ramos to play flyhalf alongside Dupont. Winger Yoram Moefana slots into midfield alongside 21-year-old Émilien Gailleton, who wins his fourth test cap.
France carries a try-scoring threat throughout the starting lineup, with hooker Peato Mauvaka boasting nine international tries and averaging better than one every four games.
Threats abound among the reserves, too.
Flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert, veteran center Gaël Fickou and scrumhalf Maxime Lucu are the backs in a 5-3 split on the bench.
After facing the Brave Blossoms, Les Tricolores host New Zealand and Argentina, also at the 80,000-capacity Stade de France.
Japan coach Eddie Jones made six changes to the side which lost to New Zealand 64-19 on Oct. 26 in Tokyo. Toulouse scrumhalf Naoto Saito returns to form a halves pairing with veteran captain Harumichi Tatekawa.
