'A new battle begins' - Antoine Dupont releases statement confirming injury length

Antoine Dupont has released a statement on social media following France’s victory over Ireland in Dublin.

Dupont and his international teammates swiftly took apart a wobbling Irish side on Saturday to ride clear at the top of the Guinness Six Nations table with just one round to go.

Despite the jubilation surrounding the victory, there was visible distress and disappointment from the French camp when their talismanic scrum half went down injured midway through the first half. The 28-year-old Dupont had ruptured the cruciate ligaments in his knee when Ireland second-row Tadhg Beirne fell on his leg at the ruck.

Following the match, France head coach Fabien Galthie expressed frustration that the TMO did not look at the incident, claiming that Beirne and Porter should appear before the disciplinary commission.

Galthie told reporters after the match: “We want explanations, so we’ve named two players. We have to protect our players. There are means, there are rules. There is some kind of anger.”

French number 8, Gregory Alldritt, later claimed the incident lit “fire to our bellies”, saying: “When I returned to the dressing room and I see one of my best friends looking like that, it tears up one’s insides. It is difficult to talk about. However, it added a bit of fire to our bellies for the second half.”

Posting on social media in the days following the incident, Dupont confirmed that he has a battle ahead of him, but will be looking forward to returning in a few months: “Leaving my teammates on the pitch is always heartbreaking in every way. That said, I am incredibly proud of what we achieved in Dublin, which helps ease the pain a little.

“I’m thinking warmly of all my teammates, both on the French Team and at Toulouse, as the most important games loom on the horizon. I’ll be their biggest supporter!

“Now, a new battle begins for me. I can’t wait to be back on the pitch as soon as possible. See you all in a few months!”