Sir Gareth Edwards: Antoine Dupont ‘has a buzz about him’
Simon Thomas talks to Sir Gareth Edwards, rated by many as the greatest rugby player of all time, about the brilliance of Antoine Dupont.
SO, IS Antoine Dupont the greatest rugby player of all time? Well, who better to ask than the man who has repeatedly been lauded with that title – Sir Gareth Edwards.
Dupont's latest heroics – inspiring France to Olympics Sevens gold – has seen some hail him as not just the best in the world right now, but the best there has ever been.
Wales and Lions legend Edwards – who, of course, performed in the same scrum-half position – is a huge admirer of the three-times Player of the Six Nations and 2021 World Player of the year.
“Over the last three or four years, I have been invited out to Paris to make various presentations to Antoine and I have enormous respect for what he has achieved,” Edwards told The Rugby Paper.
“You have got some great players around the world and we are fortunate enough to be able to switch channels and see them all in an afternoon.
“But he is the one that really has a buzz about him.
“I think the game has gone a bit stale in some respects, especially around the back of ruck and scrum where it's wait, wait, wait, pick the ball up, hoof it in the air and everyone chases it. But he is different to that.
“You don't know where he is going to pop up next or what he is going to do. He is not predictable and that's what I like about him.
“You have got to beware when he is around and constantly keep an eye on him. He gets into attacking positions where you least expect him.
“I think he is doing a service to the game at the moment. He is making it very exciting. He makes people want to go and watch the sport.
“So, he's not just a great rugby player, he's great for the game. I can't speak highly enough of him.”
Grabbing opportunities
Further praising Dupont's all-round ability, Edwards said: “He is like an extra flank forward. He grabs any opportunity he can to steal the ball when the opposition has taken it into a tackle. He just seems to ferret his way in and out and secure possession, which is very important.
“I have huge respect for him for that. I am thinking to myself sometimes, ‘God, would I want to be doing that?'
“He covers back and fore and, even when he kicks, he kicks well. He is just such an all-round talent. He brings something to the game – he brings a buzz to the game.”
As for Dupont's contribution to France's Sevens triumph – scoring two tries and setting up another in the final against Fiji – Edwards said: “It is fantastic what he has done here, to take on that huge responsibility.
“In Sevens, there is no room for mistakes and you have got to make the most of your opportunities. He is exceptionally good at finding opportunities and taking them. He is a great footballer.
“So I wasn't surprised. I didn't have any fears that he wouldn't star in the tournament or win the final for France because it's in his DNA. That's what he does. I thought it was outstanding what he did.”
Different eras
Dupont's Olympic gold medal follows on from his recent European and French titles with Toulouse, while he has won some eight major team trophies in all, along with his individual prizes.
“It's hard to compare players from different eras so don't ask me who is the greatest!”
Summing up, Edwards said: “I would say he is the best player around at the moment. He makes everybody want to go and watch the game. That's important. Would I pay to go and watch him? Yes I would because he's one of those guys who turns a match in the blink of an eye.
“He can make the difference between winning and losing. He is a bundle of energy and he would be a very difficult opponent. That I can enjoy and wonder how I would have played against him.”
Edwards has frequently been voted the greatest player of all time in various polls, so one wonders how he has dealt with that?
“I have never called myself the best and I have never sought that title,” says the 77-year-old. “I just went out to play to the best of my ability and to try and win the game. Of course it is nice to be complimented, to be called the best or one of the best.
“Over the years, I have had people from different countries – Ireland, England and so on – stopping me in the street to shake my hand and say they loved the way I played the game. Now these are the opposition, so what a lovely compliment.
“But I have never said I was the best. I played against some outstanding rugby players and there have been so many fantastic players over the years.
“At the end of the day, it's just an opinion and, of course, the game is so different now to when I played. It's very hard to compare players from different eras. “So don't ask me who the greatest of all time is!”
Edwards concluded: “It was pointed out to me that the Olympic Sevens final was on the 50th anniversary of the fourth Test against the Springboks on the 1974 Lions tour of South Africa.
“The fact that is still being mentioned, that it is still being talked about, that will do for me. And if people want to compare me to Antoine, then I will take that as a big compliment!”
READ MORE: Harlequins star Danny Care calls for more free-to-air TV games
