Yes.
Antoine Dupont is still in the squad. Regardless if he, the team, Fabien Galthié know when he will play next but are not saying, he is mentally, psychologically there. Morale is a factor, and he's the Captain too. If he was sent home, the impact would be even worse.
22 September when he had his cheekbone fractured until France's next game on 6 October against Italy is two weeks.
One of my contacts said he didn't know if we could win without Dupont when I asked, the other said without him the team are still strong.
On the foul play being intentional or not and Galthié's decision to keep Dupont on the pitch, one, no one could 100% predict the injury and two, it really doesn't matter because it doesn't change the outcome, it happened, you cannot undo it. The priority for Dupont is his health and the team, to win. The consequences you have more if not total control over, and you can learn.
Not to go into the what ifs (which at the end of the day also don't matter, because they're abstract) and people who are tuning in to the World Cup know so what you're going to read is irrelevant, South Africa and New Zealand also have injuries/players out, and the latter basically need to improve their performance too and Ireland don't count for me. Then there's the "unexpected" teams, the upsets. Looking at you Fiji.
Incidents like this can make a tournament more interesting, and as with most things, negative and positive impacts to all, from Dupont to supporters who don't want France to win but empathize. Even Dupont's injury generated support because France supporters were upset he was and is in pain.
Les Bleus, I would say try not to feel even more pressure (which may be easier to handle because pressure is part of French identity), you are at home, you have tonnes of support, maybe even more now, and technically nothing to lose, and everything to gain and win. Show those tuning in you can win without Antoine Dupont, you are not dependent on him to win, you can and will lift the World Cup for the first time at le Stade de France as hosts.
And maybe even that South Africa's win was a fluke, stolen from the All Blacks and after England woke up to win and then went back to sleep to lose. "Waste of space" England, who maybe missed a possible win because, as usual, they just can't do it. In rugby, football, tennis, maybe even cricket. They're not in the top four now, they're sixth.
If the final was France and the All Blacks, especially a great game to end the tournament, that would be fucking poetry. New Zealand's win in 2011 wasn't just a win, New Zealand needed it, Christchurch needed it, Richie basically had a broken foot, they had all the pressure from their country on them. And they pulled it off. By one point. I can still remember the fear in Richie's eyes. When the whistle blew, relief followed by happiness. Then four years later, in 2015, They did it again. Richie, Dan, Conrad Smith, Nonu.
France did so well and they probably deserved to win too, but now, they can. It is their time. And what if they did equal New Zealand with two consecutive wins? Two of the best teams in the World with massive respect for each other which they openly express.
And what a fire les Bleus would have under their asses to win. The All Blacks too, or at least those who've won the Web Ellis Cup before, but I doubt they're as hungry, but some do know what it takes to win. Likely an incredible haka. And what a way to win and to show up the All Blacks respectfully. And continuing the history between them.
But that's relevant and not relevant. I guess I'm really showing who has my heart.
I might not watch the final if France or NZ aren't there. Maybe if it's interesting and/or unexpected like Fiji.
Now I think of it, I suppose all anyone can ask for in a final is a great game, preferably with one of the favourites, or at least two evenly-matched teams, because no one really wants to see a top-ranked team obliterate a much lower-ranked team.
Allez les Bleus!
-A.M.
