France's Dupont cleared to resume playing ahead of South Africa clash

By Julien Pretot

Antoine Dupont's chances of playing in France's quarter-final clash against defending champions South Africa at the World Cup were given a massive boost when he was cleared to resume rugby training on Monday.

The team captain underwent surgery on a broken cheekbone on September 22nd, and after quickly going back to light training, was waiting for the green light from his surgeon to start making contact with other players.

Following the 26-year-old's visit to surgeon Frederic Lauwers in Toulouse, the French federation (FFR) said in a statement: "Antoine Dupont has obtained the authorisation to resume rugby training as early as today."

The French staff had said that the surgeon's clearance was key to Dupont's possible participation in Sunday's clash against the Springboks, adding that the player would have the final say on whether he would want to be on the field.

Should he feel ready, head coach Fabien Galthie and his staff will also assess if he is to start.

Maxime Lucu deputised in France's final Pool A game against Italy and the scrum-half did a fine job with club partner and flyhalf Mathieu Jalibert as Les Bleus demolished Italy 60-7 last Friday in Lyon.

"If he gets the green light to play with contact again we will resume gradually and then we will need to see how the players react, if he's 100 per cent fit and if he has any apprehension," France's health manager Bruno Boussagol said last week.

"Finally, the coaches will decide. It is not because he is on the (training) pitch that he will play the game."

France won all their group games, including a 27-13 victory against three-time champions New Zealand in the tournament's opening match.

Dupont was rested for the following game against Uruguay but started to face Namibia, a test France won 96-0.

In the 45th minute, he left the pitch after a head-on-head collision with Namibia captain Johan Deysel and underwent surgery the same night in Toulouse.

France have suffered several injuries in the build-up to the tournament and during the competition, with lock Paul Willemse and flyhalf Romain Ntamack both ruled out before the start while hooker Julien Marchand is still recovering from a thigh injury he picked up during the All Blacks game.