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France v South Africa: Antoine Dupont at Fly-Half for Paris Match
France coach Fabien Galthie said injuries forced the switch, with scrum-half Maxime Lucu moving to No. 9 and Julien Marchand added to the pack.
France captain Antoine Dupont will start at fly-half for the Nations Championship match against South Africa on Friday, November 13, 2026, at the Stade de France in Paris.
A severe injury crisis forced the tactical shift after France lost primary fly-halves Romain Ntamack, Matthieu Jalibert, Antoine Hastoy, and Thomas Ramos. Coach Fabien Galthie selected Dupont and former captain Gregory Alldritt to stabilize the team.
The Springboks have won nine of their last 10 meetings against France, with head coach Rassie Erasmus fielding a formidable squad led by captain Siya Kolisi and fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
South Africa coach Erasmus warned that "I don't even know if Dupont's team-mates know exactly what he's going to do next." Galthie countered that the two scrum-halves are "two icons in France... and in the world."
Friday night's clash serves as a dress rehearsal for the Nations Championship final, with both teams building toward the World Cup in Australia in less than 12 months.
Faced with the cascade of injuries, the captain of the XV of France will occupy the position of half opening, Friday, in the match of the Championship of Nations against the double world champions.