Matthieu Jalibert admitted the return of talismanic captain Antoine Dupont has given France a huge boost ahead of Sunday’s mouth-watering World Cup quarter-final against defending champions South Africa in Paris.
The 26-year-old scrum-half will lead Les Bleus into their last-eight tie just over three weeks after suffering a broken cheekbone against Namibia that placed his remaining involvement in the tournament in jeopardy.
Stand-off Jalibert is relishing the prospect of having his half-back partner back alongside him as he believes Dupont’s presence will give the Boks something extra to worry about. “The whole team is very happy to have him back,” said Jalibert. “We’re happy to have him with us, knowing that he’ll be able to start this quarter-final.
It’s always a pleasure to play with him. It’s easy to adapt to his game and to play alongside him. “It gives us a lot of confidence.