FRANCE ROCKED BY POSITIVE TEST FOR DUPONT
FRANCE scrum-half Antoine Dupont is a major doubt for the Six Nations clash with Scotland in Paris next weekend after testing positive for Covid-19.
The Toulouse star — widely viewed as the best player in the world right now — was found to have contracted the virus after tests were carried out on the national squad yesterday.
It is the most serious setback yet in a tumultuous few days for the title favourites after head coach Fabien Galthie, scrum coach William Servat and another member of the backroom team tested positive, followed by six members of the French Sevens squad after they were allowed to train with Galthie’s men.
Now questions are being asked about Dupont and Galthie’s attendance at an awards ceremony organised by newspaper Midi Olympique on Monday evening — 24 hours after France beat Ireland in Dublin — at which both men were pictured side by side and not wearing masks.
Dupont is asymptomatic. But, in line with regulations in France, the 24-year-old is now self-isolating for seven days and will be unable to train with his team-mates ahead of the meeting with Gregor Townsend’s men next Sunday.
Yet, the French Federation are refusing to rule Dupont out of the match completely, pointing out that his isolation period will end on Friday, which could still allow him to return to the squad despite not taking part in training.
‘After seven days of isolation, it’s a sporting decision,’ said an FFR spokesperson.
Dupont’s absence would be a huge blow for the Grand-Slam chasing French after their opening victories over Italy and Ireland.
The players who tested negative were Dorian Aldegheri, Julien Marchand, Peato Mauvaka, Cyril Baille, Dylan Cretin, Charles Ollivon, Anthony Bouthier, Louis Carbonel, Romain Taofifenua, Paul Willemse and Arthur Vincent.
But there was no news on the good health or otherwise of Baptiste Serin or Sebastien Bezy, the other scrum-halves who would be expected to replace Dupont if he fails to recover in time.
Concerns over a wider outbreak in the France camp have been mounting since it was revealed the Sevens team, who had trained with the Six Nations squad in Nice before their trip to Ireland, had returned up to half a dozen positive tests.
Despite the four confirmed cases in the senior men’s squad to date, the French team’s ‘bubble’ received the government seal of approval yesterday.
On Thursday, France’s Health Minister Olivier Veran announced that isolation periods for anyone who tests positive for Covid is to be extended from seven days to ten days.
But the extension is not due to come into force until Monday.