France lose Dupont but Six Nations title on the cards after thrashing Ireland

France will have to seal the Six Nations title without injured talisman Antoine Dupont but Saturday's devastating display in beating Ireland 42-27 is significant according to No 8 Gregory Alldritt as it showed they can triumph in "huge matches."

The manner of how French captain Dupont suffered a suspected cruciate ligament injury in a ruck in the first-half left both Alldritt and head coach Fabien Galthie seething.

Both claimed the scrum-half widely considered to be the best player in the world was targeted by lock Tadhg Beirne, though, the referee Angus Gardner and the Irish interim head coach Simon Easterby begged to differ.

"When you return to the changing room and you see one of your best friends in that state it rips your guts up," said Alldritt.

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"It did, though, put fire in our bellies for the second-half."

Whatever the disciplinary outcome as France have cited Beirne and prop Andrew Porter, who they also claim is responsible, the French have to beat the Scotland at home next Saturday to secure the crown.

They have had to make do without 28-year-old Dupont owing to injury before — for part of the pool stage of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

However, even with his return and wearing a protective mask they slipped to a traumatic quarter-final defeat at the Stade de France to South Africa.

This was one instance of what Alldritt referred to of the "huge matches" the French have lost since Galthie took over after the 2019 World Cup.

Defeat at the hands of Ireland in 2023 and last year's Six Nations hammering by the same opponents in Marseille, where Dupont was absent as he pursued his ultimately successful dream of Olympic Sevens gold, would likely fall into the same category.

An error-strewn performance in the 26-25 defeat by England last month had posed question marks over whether for all their talent they choked when the pressure was on.

This failure to deliver titles is reflected in just achieving the 2022 Grand Slam under Galthie, finishing second in the other four Six Nations campaigns.

"Before the game we were masters of our destiny," said Alldritt, who took over as skipper after Dupont's exit just before the half hour mark.

"We were getting a little fed up to fall short from time to time in huge matches.

"And I think today is a huge match," he added.

'Very humble'

Alldritt, who had an outstanding match beginning early on in preventing opposing No 8 Caelan Doris touching down, said he and his teammates were determined to set things right.

"For us the players, there has been a lot of frustration because we have let slip several opportunities," he said.

"We were determined not to do the same thing this year.

"It is not over, but, we are where we wanted to be, at least after the England match (the defeat crushed their Grand Slam dream)."

Galthie will have taken heart for the Scotland game at the character his team showed, with back-rower Oscar Jegou having to play in midfield owing to Pierre-Louis Barassi's head injury.

The 21-year-old, who scored a try, had to slot in there as Galthie had selected seven forwards and one back on the bench — scrum-half Maxime Lucu coming on for Dupont.

"We did not tremble up front nor did we wobble behind the pack," said 55-year-old Galthie.

For Galthie it was a performance to savour.

Not just because it put behind them the trauma from the England loss but also how clinical they had been in taking their chances, which had not been the case against the English.

"The team have reacted well after the England match, indeed very well for three weeks now," said Galthie.

"We have something good going. It is not yet achieved, but we have scored 26 tries, not counting those we have let slip.

"We have to be very humble because all that is down to work, developing it and it makes us stronger.

"For the moment, in any case, defences have trouble containing us."

Scotland have been duly warned.

AFP