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France's Dupont coy on flyhalf role before South Africa clash

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In short

France faces the Springboks with Dupont starting at flyhalf, a position he has never played in international rugby and has only filled eight times for his club. The tactical adjustment follows Romain Ntamack dislocating his shoulder during last weekend's 54-17 win against Fiji. Maxime Lucu steps into Dupont's typical scrumhalf spot, though the squad remains prepared for in-game flexibility.

Key points

  • Dupont and Maxime Lucu reversed the positional duties they shared during the recent Fiji…: Dupont and Maxime Lucu reversed the positional duties they shared during the recent Fiji match to face South Africa.
  • The French captain indicated that both players have the positional versatility to adapt d…: The French captain indicated that both players have the positional versatility to adapt dynamically during Friday's contest.
  • France enters the Stade de France fixture needing an improvised halfback pairing to chall…: France enters the Stade de France fixture needing an improvised halfback pairing to challenge the reigning world champions.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

PARIS, Nov 12 : France captain Antoine Dupont remained tight-lipped about how he will approach his new role at flyhalf in Friday's Nations Championship match against South Africa at the Stade de France.

Dupont, who has never played at flyhalf in a test and has only filled the role eight times at club level, will start against the world champions in a selection gamble forced by an injury crisis, with Maxime Lucu stepping in at scrumhalf.

Dupont declined to reveal how much time he will spend in the pivot role, or whether he might switch positions with Lucu during the match, despite persistent questioning at Thursday's pre-match press conference.

"You'll see tomorrow how we try to adapt," he told reporters.

"We've tried to put together a combination that works as well as possible for the team, with as much flexibility as possible.

"Romain's (Ntamack) injury wasn't planned, nor were the injuries to the three other flyhalves,” he said.

Ntamack went off near the end of the first half of last Saturday’s 54-17 win over Fiji after dislocating his shoulder. France…

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