France star Dupont returns after eight months out

France captain Antoine Dupont will make his return from a serious knee injury in Toulouse’s Top 14 match against Racing 92 on Saturday (20:00 GMT).

Scrum-half Dupont, 29, has been out since March after rupturing cruciate ligaments in his knee in France’s Six Nations win over Ireland in Dublin in March.

The 2021 World Rugby Player of the Year has been named on the bench as Top 14 leaders Toulouse host Racing at Stade Ernest Wallon.

“Straight away he found his footing again,” Toulouse assistant coach Jean Bouilhou told reporters on Friday.

“He’s such a talented player, at the highest level. He also has a form of authority over our gameplan. I think he’ll get back his best quickly.”

Dupont has won two Six Nations titles with France and helped the Sevens team win Olympic gold at last year’s Paris Games.

With Toulouse, he has won five Top 14 titles and two Investec Champions Cups, while he recently signed a contract extension until 2031.

“I don’t have a crystal ball,” Bouilhou added when asked about Dupont’s return.

“I can’t really tell you what will happen in the match or in future matches, I can just talk about what I’ve seen in training.

While Dupont’s return is a boost for Toulouse before they begin their Champions Cup defence against the Sharks on 7 December, the six-time European champions have lost utility back Juan Cruz Mallia for the rest of the season.

Argentina’s Mallia sustained a knee injury following a late tackle by England’s Tom Curry in last week’s autumn Test at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium.

“Juanchi is a big loss for the squad,” added Bouilhou.

“He’s an extraordinary player, who brings energy and makes other players better.”