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AP Japan’s Shuhei Takeuchi, center, is tackled by France’s Antoine Dupont during the Autumn Nations series match at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, on Saturday.
AP
10:53 JST, November 10, 2024
PARIS (AP) — Star scrumhalf Antoine Dupont celebrated his return as captain and his scoring touch was not even needed as eight-try France routed Japan 52-12 on Saturday.
Les Tricolores crushed the Brave Blossoms at Stade de France, with left winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey scoring two tries in a totally one-sided first half and replacement flanker flanker Paul Boudehent grabbing two in the second half.
Dupont came back to XVs in the stadium where he inspired France to a gold medal in sevens at the Paris Olympics. But it was also where he experienced heartbreak as France agonizingly lost by one point to South Africa in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals one year ago.
“It’s such a pleasure to reunite with the French team and the French fans,” Dupont said. “We were all hungry and wanted to play well. We were a bit sloppy at times which meant we weren’t efficient for the whole game.”
But Eddie Jones’ Japan provided little resistance and was especially exposed around the rucks.
After Bielle-Biarrey’s unconverted opener, Dupont passed exquisitely out the back of his hand on a counterruck to No. 8 Grégory Alldritt. He fed flyhalf Thomas Ramos and his kick to the left corner was grabbed by center Émilien Gailleton for a converted try and 12-0.
France was on its way to five tries before the break, with flanker Alexandre Roumat celebrating his first international try after collecting Bielle-Biarrey’s pass.
Bielle-Biarrey dived into the left corner for his second followed by prolific hooker Peato Mauvaka crashing over in the right corner for his 10th international try.
The French were in no mood to relent, and prop Jean-Baptiste Gros helped himself to the team’s sixth try early in the second half, converted by Ramos to leave Japan facing a chilling 38-0 deficit with ages left to play.
After a Dupont try was ruled out by a knock-on by right winger Théo Attissogbe, the visitors finally got on the scoreboard when Harumichi Tatekawa crossed for a converted try.
Japan grabbed another through Tevita Tatafu when he intercepted Matthieu Jalibert’s sloppy pass and charged into the left corner, despite Bielle-Biarrey’s last-gasp tackle.
Either side of that, Boudehent burrowed over twice.
France stays at Stade de France next Saturday and faces New Zealand.
“We need to be a bit more serious in certain phases of play because we have a massive challenge coming next week,” Bielle-Biarrey said.
Less than two hours before kickoff, the French Rugby Federation announced that star winger Damian Penaud — France’s record try scorer with 36 — was ruled out with Attissogbe replacing him on the right wing. No reason was given for Penaud’s absence. ___
