Antoine Dupont's return date confirmed: Fans eagerly await his comeback

Currently undergoing rehab after rupturing the ACL in his right knee, Dupont told L'Équipe he’s eyeing a return following the autumn internationals.

“I’m aiming for the end of November,” he said. “That would be eight months since my injury. I feel like that’s already a reasonable timeframe. I just hope everything goes well until then.”

In Japan this week as part of sponsorship duties, including visits to the French pavilion at the Osaka Expo and an LVMH exhibition, the 2024 Olympic champion is staying busy off the pitch. He recently completed a two-week stint of intensive rehab at a specialist centre in Switzerland.

Despite his steady progress, the 27-year-old is set to miss France’s November Tests against South Africa (8th), Fiji (15th), and Australia (22nd), as well as the first nine rounds of the Top 14 season with Toulouse.

The Champions Cup opener against the Sharks on October 7 comes too soon, but a late-November return—possibly against Racing or Montauban—is on the cards.

“I’m not sure it would be very smart to rush back,” he admitted. “Even if it’s always tough missing international fixtures. I’ve still got a few years left in my career, and I’ve only got two knees—one of which is already in rough shape. So I need to take care of them.”

Two of the best referee’s to ever pick up an ACME Whistle, it’s interesting to see who give them the hardest time on the rugby pitch.

DID YOU KNOW? Nigel Owens started refereeing in 1987, after his sports teacher John Beynon suggested he take up refereeing after a poor performance in a school game.

BARNES SAID: “Richie always had the knack of asking the right question at the right time, sometimes it felt like I was losing a little bit of control. Contrary to popular belief, he didn’t talk a lot on the field. He knew the law book inside out and so when he asked a question, he often had a point.”

OWENS SAID: "If anybody had to pick the greatest player in history, it would surely be a difficult choice between him and Gareth Edwards."

OWENS SAID: “Oh god yes. He’s so focused and so passionate about what he’s doing, we’ve had a few run ins on the pitch down the years. I mean, it’s always been in a respectful way as we always have a drink and a laugh after the game.”

DID YOU KNOW? Biggar has his own routine before kicking goals, which fans now call "The Biggarena" after Los Del Rio's 1995 hit, Macarena.

BARNES SAID: “I was always petrified of him because he was coming to the end of his career when I started in the Premiership. 2003 was my first [season] and obviously that was towards the end of his career and I remember I had to sin-bin him once and I actually apologised as I did it. I said ‘I’m very sorry I have to do this’ because he’s such a big personality. I guess he was always someone who scared me witless!”

DID YOU KNOW? Under his management England won the 2011 Six Nations Championship, their first since 2003

OWENS SAID: “Definitely. I only caught him towards the end of his career, thankfully. A wonderfully talented player and a very good pundit now, but he always had plenty say and quickly assumed I didn’t like him. He’s actually blocked me on Twitter, but I don’t think I’m the only one.”

DID YOU KNOW? He is a famously competitive and "outspoken" character, gaining the nickname "The Leicester Lip"

OWENS SAID: “Itoje is someone who plays right on the edge. That is what makes him such a great player. He must be so difficult to play against but he’s also difficult to referee and I mean that with the utmost respect."

BARNES SAID: "The hardest players are the best players,”