Heard some jokers claiming he's overrated. Like excuse me, do you actually have eyes? Even BOD admits he wasn't at his level. Dupont is probably the best player I've ever seen. He's got incredible skill, incredible game awareness, incredible composure, he's fast and has the physicality of a flanker. I don't think we've witnessed a player this complete before, he's got everything.
There's a fantastic doc made by Canal + french TV channel called "Dupont, naturellement" ( Dupont, naturally), you can understand he was born and raised in a farm among the heart and of rugby in France, the Gers area. Every village, every kids here are mostly thinking about rugby. Jelonch, Alldritt and Bourgarit were raised in closed village from Antoine's...And he's still watching every game of his village team, trained by his uncle, with his brother and cousin in it. In Antoine Gers region, rugby is a way of life, not just a game. And this place was the perfect storm to create such a player, the greatest, a real embodiment of rugby
If he keeps up this level for another 5+ years, he'll definitively be the greatest player of any era. He already has a pretty strong case for being the greatest of all time.
I think he is already the BOAT for me (best of all time). Greatest is another debate as it has also a lot to do with his team achievements and no matter how good he will play, nothing garantee he will win a RWC especially playing for a country which have yet to have won it. And an injury which will make him miss the next RWC can easily happen as it almost happened in the last one.
I'm pleased to see Dupont spoken of in the context of Gareth Edwards (and I think Joost was great too, but not quite as great). It is impossible to compare eras, of course, but I still think that in a few years' time Dupont will justifiably be spoken of as being on a par with Edwards. BUT: there's still a couple of aspects where Edward has the edge for me: has Dupont dropped a goal yet? Edwards often did it but not sure about Dupont. Not sure he has as brilliant a reverse pass as Edwards (which drew gasps from the crowd when he did it). Happy to be proved wrong on either/both.
Joost won a WC because of 4 disallowed tries for France in the semi, the whole NZ team surprisingly falling sick before the final and God knows how many boks players either dead or in a wheelchair because of steroids. This WC was a scam
Bar injuries, Dupont still have 2 others World Cups in his legs (he will have 34 in 2031). Like Messi, he is already the best player of this era, but he will finally confirmed it with a World Cup win. Dupont is making a bold choice by taking a side-step with olympics and sevens. Resting his legs and developing his rugby vision for the coming years.
Carter was one of the best playmakers and generals of all time but Dupont is close to his level in those aspects and is far more dangerous individually with his own speed and power. How can you defend someone with the kicking and passing of an elite flyhalf and the speed and power to go round you or sit you on your behind. He's a phenomenon.
🇿🇦I don’t expect the ignorati to believe this but Naas Botha is IMO the best player ever in the sense that he imposed his personality on any game in which he played. DuPont is similar in the sense that whenever he plays he is the central fact of that game. Like Joost and Fourie du Preez rolled into one. Will be the GOAT is he can maintain it, which he will, and win a WC, which they will in ‘27.
@@tobolee6385 Sorry, but Naas was orders of magnitude better. Danie Druk Drie Droomdrië - love the man to death and he was a one-off but Naas was the Bradman of rugby.
Win a WC back to back and come back from two knee injuries then we will talk about GOAT status, but for now its only Richie McCaw and the peerless Siya Kolisi that are on that mountain top.
Winning the World Cup is a team collective. Being the goat is based on the individual and like many pros and ex pros (I assume you aren’t) I agree that we have never seen a player that can do the things DuPont does - absolutely the best player I have ever seen. The kiwis and saffas get a weird complex if you say someone is great that isn’t from the northern hemisphere - very odd.
Joost would have run circles around him and tackled his head off ,,,lomu would have swatted him like a fly ,,,, northern hemisphere always big up there players like there the best ever ,,,yet they have only won one cup ,,,
Joost won a WC because of 4 disallowed tries for France in the semi, the whole NZ team surprisingly falling sick before the final and God knows how many boks players either dead or in a wheelchair because of steroids. The 1995 WC was a scam. As for Europeans, they actually atract many SH players in their clubs, so are used to compare NH and SH players playing in the same competition. Some have been brilliant, like Kolbe, Guiteau, Botha to name a few, other mediocre (Kolisi for example), but none have come close to reaching Dupont's level in the European Champions Cup for the past 2-3 seasons. Best or second for defenders beaten, line breaks, turnovers... his stats make no sense.
Heard some jokers claiming he's overrated. Like excuse me, do you actually have eyes? Even BOD admits he wasn't at his level. Dupont is probably the best player I've ever seen. He's got incredible skill, incredible game awareness, incredible composure, he's fast and has the physicality of a flanker. I don't think we've witnessed a player this complete before, he's got everything.
Completely agree
such lovely things about antoine from o'driscoll... that's an honour.
There's a fantastic doc made by Canal + french TV channel called "Dupont, naturellement" ( Dupont, naturally), you can understand he was born and raised in a farm among the heart and of rugby in France, the Gers area. Every village, every kids here are mostly thinking about rugby. Jelonch, Alldritt and Bourgarit were raised in closed village from Antoine's...And he's still watching every game of his village team, trained by his uncle, with his brother and cousin in it. In Antoine Gers region, rugby is a way of life, not just a game. And this place was the perfect storm to create such a player, the greatest, a real embodiment of rugby
If he keeps up this level for another 5+ years, he'll definitively be the greatest player of any era. He already has a pretty strong case for being the greatest of all time.
I think he is already the BOAT for me (best of all time).
Greatest is another debate as it has also a lot to do with his team achievements and no matter how good he will play, nothing garantee he will win a RWC especially playing for a country which have yet to have won it.
And an injury which will make him miss the next RWC can easily happen as it almost happened in the last one.
I'm pleased to see Dupont spoken of in the context of Gareth Edwards (and I think Joost was great too, but not quite as great). It is impossible to compare eras, of course, but I still think that in a few years' time Dupont will justifiably be spoken of as being on a par with Edwards. BUT: there's still a couple of aspects where Edward has the edge for me: has Dupont dropped a goal yet? Edwards often did it but not sure about Dupont. Not sure he has as brilliant a reverse pass as Edwards (which drew gasps from the crowd when he did it). Happy to be proved wrong on either/both.
Joost was the greatest 9 I saw and has won a WC and his try count was incredible. Dupont is class and when his career is over then we can compare
Joost won a WC because of 4 disallowed tries for France in the semi, the whole NZ team surprisingly falling sick before the final and God knows how many boks players either dead or in a wheelchair because of steroids. This WC was a scam
Bar injuries, Dupont still have 2 others World Cups in his legs (he will have 34 in 2031). Like Messi, he is already the best player of this era, but he will finally confirmed it with a World Cup win. Dupont is making a bold choice by taking a side-step with olympics and sevens. Resting his legs and developing his rugby vision for the coming years.
What about Dan Carter?
Carter was one of the best playmakers and generals of all time but Dupont is close to his level in those aspects and is far more dangerous individually with his own speed and power. How can you defend someone with the kicking and passing of an elite flyhalf and the speed and power to go round you or sit you on your behind. He's a phenomenon.
🇿🇦I don’t expect the ignorati to believe this but Naas Botha is IMO the best player ever in the sense that he imposed his personality on any game in which he played.
DuPont is similar in the sense that whenever he plays he is the central fact of that game.
Like Joost and Fourie du Preez rolled into one. Will be the GOAT is he can maintain it, which he will, and win a WC, which they will in ‘27.
Danie gerber the best player ever ,,,no debate ,,,,
@@tobolee6385 Sorry, but Naas was orders of magnitude better. Danie Druk Drie Droomdrië - love the man to death and he was a one-off but Naas was the Bradman of rugby.
@jacqloock naas couldn't tackle and always has clean shorts ...Carter .Wilkinson and pollard are way better ..
Win a WC back to back and come back from two knee injuries then we will talk about GOAT status, but for now its only Richie McCaw and the peerless Siya Kolisi that are on that mountain top.
Winning the World Cup is a team collective. Being the goat is based on the individual and like many pros and ex pros (I assume you aren’t) I agree that we have never seen a player that can do the things DuPont does - absolutely the best player I have ever seen. The kiwis and saffas get a weird complex if you say someone is great that isn’t from the northern hemisphere - very odd.
Joost would have run circles around him and tackled his head off ,,,lomu would have swatted him like a fly ,,,, northern hemisphere always big up there players like there the best ever ,,,yet they have only won one cup ,,,
Joost won a WC because of 4 disallowed tries for France in the semi, the whole NZ team surprisingly falling sick before the final and God knows how many boks players either dead or in a wheelchair because of steroids. The 1995 WC was a scam.
As for Europeans, they actually atract many SH players in their clubs, so are used to compare NH and SH players playing in the same competition. Some have been brilliant, like Kolbe, Guiteau, Botha to name a few, other mediocre (Kolisi for example), but none have come close to reaching Dupont's level in the European Champions Cup for the past 2-3 seasons. Best or second for defenders beaten, line breaks, turnovers... his stats make no sense.