Toulouse continue their European Champions Cup campaign without their star player who is out with injury
There’s a glaring omission in the Toulouse side playing Toulon in this weekend’s European Champions Cup fixture at Stade Felix Mayol. While former World Player of the Year and Olympic gold medal winner Antoine Dupont would walk into any side on the planet, the scrum-half won’t be running out for his club side on Sunday. So why is Antoine Dupont not playing in the Champions Cup?
France’s talismanic captain is out of action following an injury he sustained during the national side’s emphatic 42-27 victory over Ireland in the 2025 Six Nations. Dupont ruptured cruciate ligaments in his right knee after Ireland’s Tadhg Beirne landed on his leg during a first-half ruck, ruling the number 9 out for the rest of the season. He also reportedly suffered injuries to his medial meniscus and collateral ligament.
How long will Antoine Dupont be out of action?
French newspaper L’Equipe reported (via Reuters) that Dupont underwent surgery on his knee on 24 March. The usual rehabilitation period for injuries such as his is six to nine months, meaning there’s a possibility he’ll be back for this November’s Autumn Nations Series, during which France are set to play South Africa, Fiji and Australia. That said, we may have to wait until 2026 to see the return of a player many believe to be the best on the planet.
Despite his injury, Antoine Dupont still turned up to lift the Six Nations trophy at the Stade de France (JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP via Getty Images)
What does this mean for Toulouse?
For all Dupont’s all-round brilliance, France managed perfectly well without him during the remainder of the Six Nations – even though head coach Fabien Galthié’s decision to pick a 7-1 bench against Ireland meant substitute flanker Oscar Jégou playing much of the game at centre after specialist scrum-half Maxime Lucu had replaced Dupont. The skipper was in the Stade de France to lift the Six Nations trophy the following week.
Can reigning Top 14 and European Champions Cup holders Toulouse follow suit and remain the best team on the continent without their star player? They currently have a five-point lead at the top of the domestic league table (despite their recent loss to title rivals Bordeaux-Bègles), and have won every match in this year’s Champions Cup – though Sunday’s victory over Sale Sharks was, at times, a little closer than they’d have liked. Besides, with a team that includes Ange Capuozzo, Blair Kinghorn, Romain Ntamack and Thomas Ramos, they’re going to be a match for anyone, even three-time Champions Cup winners Toulon in their own backyard.
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