Dupont: France won't underestimate 'dangerous' England
SPOTLIGHT: Despite England losing three matches on the bounce, France won’t be complacent when meeting Steve Borthwick’s side in the final round of the Six Nations, according to captain Antoine Dupont.
Dupont said France is wary of a “dangerous” and “physical” England side with nothing to lose in the Six Nations finale on Saturday.
France go into the match at the Stade de France knowing that a bonus-point victory will almost certainly be enough to earn them back-to-back titles.
England, on the other hand, arrives in Paris on the back of three consecutive defeats and is still not mathematically safe from ending up with the wooden spoon.
But Dupont said his team will not take England lightly.
“You always have to be wary of England,” he said on Friday.
“We know how difficult this competition is, we know that from one week to another, the teams can show a completely different face.
“They’re very experienced with great individuals who know how to perform in big matches.
“So even if they’re not playing for the title, there’s a lot riding on this for them, and I’m sure they’ll perform.”
He added: “They have players who, even if they’ve been inconsistent during the Six Nations, are capable of being very dangerous and especially very physical.
“So we have to be able to stand up to that.”
This match will be played almost 120 years to the day since the very first international Test between the two sides – a 35-8 victory for England at the Parc des Princes in southwest Paris.
It took France 21 years and 17 matches to finally beat England, after a solitary draw in the first 16 clashes.
The rivalry has been basically even since then, although France has won three of the last four.
But they come into the match licking their wounds after a humbling 40-50 defeat away to Scotland last week.
“These weeks are never fun after a performance like that,” said the 29-year-old scrumhalf.
“We can win the tournament tomorrow, so it was easy to turn the page and re-motivate because there’s a great objective to go after.”
That defeat, which Dupont blamed on “an accumulation of individual mistakes”, has refocused minds ahead of ‘Le Crunch’.
“I’ve sensed a good energy this weekend. More concentration than the Scotland week, where there was a very good mood, but maybe a dip in alertness, a dip in determination,” he added.
“Whether it’s desire, the state of mind, having the desire to collectively push through pain – I hope that, at least, we’ll show up in those respects.”
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