DUPONT HEADING SOUTH?! | SHARKS vs TOULOUSE | CHAMPIONS CUP

[@timslade5808]

The fact Toulouse nearly beat a full strength La Rochelle with a second/third string side just shows how good this Team is and will be for the next 5 years or more

[@EggchasersRugby]

100%

[@Sat191]

21 years old average, all homegrown for theses 'kids'... that's crazy. Stade Toulousain re-thinked (early/middle 80's) their manner to play rugby from the academy to senior teams by using the same rugby philosophy (numerous former players became coaches, perpetuing this legacy). And you can also take in account that the current generation, even with all the trophies won during the last 5/6 years, is not the best ST's team yet. And they are challenged by former players to beat records.

[@OlgaRadioGaGa]

Not “if” they send their best players… 30 top Toulouse players already left France yesterday evening. They will use this opportunity to pay respects to the memory of a young toulousian player who lost his life near Cape Town last summer before heading to Durban.

[@mikewartnaby]

As a Durbanite this game scares me. I'd love the Sharks to win but with the injuries and the way the Sharks have played over the last few games, I think we're about to be thrashed at home.

[@subbie5498]

nah back your team what if they play their best game in yrs

[@Clarkgravel]

Yeah agree with Subbie. Firmly backing Sharks……from a Leinster fan 😂

[@kristian762]

​@@Clarkgravelthe enemy of my enemy... 😂

[@yveslaffont726]

@@kristian762 Pas d'accord avec toi Clark... Au Stade toulousain il n'y a aucun ennemi, mais des adversaires. Seulement des adversaires. Et le Stade Toulousain respecte tous ses adversaires... Après, si les autres clubs le considèrent comme un ennemi, c'est leur affaire, pas la notre :)

[@atlas.heart.O]

From Toulouse.. hope you will be right ! 😂 But i hope to see a big game bcuz we respect the level of south africans ! I hope to see a big rugby game between 2 internationaly legendary teams

[@kerrylass2]

Flying to Paris Friday, getting the TGV to La Rochelle for the Sunday Leinster clash. If that wasn't exciting enough I will be in a french pub watching Toulouse vs the Sharks on the Saturday, Beaucoup du vin and le frommage this weekend...Woo Hoo!🍷🍺🥳🎉

[@cedricpicard9016]

Don't forget le saucisson 😉

[@marcmcdonald48]

❤​@@cedricpicard9016

[@gregglesjmiller3919]

I recommend you "Les spécialistes" maps.app.goo.gl/1K7gZne3cmcx6Wfy7 Have a nice stay in our city of La Rochelle! 💛🖤

[@nico-qd9jz]

Have a great travel La rochelle is a rugby city, I think they will show the Sharks - Toulouse game

[@louisledoux3901]

Enjoy brother! Thats what rugby is all about! Go RCT ;)

[@etiennela4870]

I’m more excited about this game than the whole six nations, strangely… Probably because it’s sort of France vs SA. Toulouse has a mind-blowing team, bench and even B team, most likely because so many get drafted into the French team. Can’t wait! 😊

[@zisssssou]

Sorry Egg, but i think people seem to miss Toulouse real intentions this weekend. There is not a single "first SH tour for Dupont" headline in France. 2 stakes for Toulouse and Dupont this weekend: 1st stake: All the club travelled early to pay tribute to Medhi Narjissi tragic death last summer, near Cape Town 2nd stake: Then, assure the pool lead vs UBB, to get a home 1/8 final and make turnovers in the 4th game

[@Zveebo]

@@zisssssou To guarantee top spot in the group, they need bonus point wins in both games. There will be no big changes for the Leicester game. Remember Dupont played every single Champions Cup game last year - he will do the same this year, absent injury.

[@moebiusmoebius9041]

The ST objective isn't to secure first place in the pool, it's to secure first place overall. We paid 2 semi-final losses abroad (against Leinster) to learn this lesson. But it seems that lesson is learned now. Thus, ST play each match of Champion's Cup to collect 5 points. This is why this match against Sharks is so exciting. Because it's probably the highest challenge for the ST in the pool phase.

[@Zveebo]

Toulouse are 100% going to play a full team down in Durban. This is the Champions Cup, and more than any other team they never mess around when it comes this competition. They were flying down yesterday to absolutely maximise acclimatisation in SA. I think the Sharks will have the edge with the home crowd, and given summer conditions, but it should be a cracking game.

[@chris5240]

I think we have a few too many injuries sadly. No Fassi is a massive problem. No Esterhuizen. No Williams.

[@InspoLel]

During the game it will be like 3 times the temp that those players will be used to so I think they have a good chance

[@Zomo1553]

​@InspoLel these guys are from toulouse, not the UK. The heat will not be a massive factor. Sharks have a good team don't get me wrong, but this Toulouse team is probably the best club side we've ever seen

[@chris5240]

@@Zomo1553 It is going to be a wet game, so it may be pretty close as wet games are lower scoring usually.

[@Zomo1553]

@@chris5240 didn't know that. Sharks will be looking for an arm wrestle then. Dupont will still be doing dupont things

[@Mary-AnnNorval]

Top class players on both sides! Hopefully the Sharks will up their game....otherwise I will be aging rapidly during the match!

[@nicWarrington]

Fassi and Esterhuizen are massive losses. But even with them I’d go Toulouse. The best club side in the world, by far. Only Leinster come close. And I’m a Sharks supporter. Let’s pack out the stadium and have a full go though!!

[@garywebb5912]

As a Kiwi I still wish the SA teams remained in the Super rugby series, just saying! But it will be worth the watch for sure.

[@yveslaffont726]

Absolument d'accord. C'est le match de qualification en Champions Cup le plus attendu de cette année... Il n'y a aucune injure à l'encontre des autres affiches, mais c'est une première. Le Stade Toulousain se déplace pour la première fois en Afrique du Sud, et contre les Sharks de surcroit... C'est une affiche si rare et tellement prometteuse sur le niveau de jeu quelque soit le résultat, que les amoureux du ballon ovale doivent déjà en saliver... D'ailleurs c'est peut-être pour cette raison Tim, que tu as commencé à parler de nourriture :)))

[@mthunziphakathi4215]

Properly excited for this game, wish both teams had a full roster to pick from.

[@johannrugby3811]

Unlike most of the french teams in the Heineken Champions cup who love to rotate their teams when they play pool games away from home especially when they play in South Africa (like Bordeaux did two seasons ago and Lyon did last season) Toulouse and La Rochelle are the only two french teams who always play their full strength team in every Heineken Champions Cup match, so there's no doubt that Toulouse will play their strongest team against the sharks.

[@kropotkine9640]

Toulon sent the top team (minus ollivon) in SA a few weeks ago when they beat the Stormers

[@T2Lam10]

@kropotkine9640and Bordeaux lost by 4 to the Bulls while being already qualified

[@johannrugby3811]

@kropotkine9640 That's not the point, the point is overall it's only Toulouse and la rochelle who always play their full strength teams in every Heineken Champions cup match.

[@carolinejohannes6022]

Your'e right on the 2nd guess, "the butcher boys" in Umhlanga.

[@EggchasersRugby]

Amazing feed at that place

[@alexandregarcia9726]

​@@EggchasersRugby The fat Butcher exists too ahah it is in Stellenbosch though. And excellent place too!

[@inamortz2372]

UBB will likely finish on 20pts too so I can't see a world where Toulouse aren't deploying the full team to get maximum point diff. Will be cheering on the Sharkie boys but teams like Toulouse are why the Champions Cup is special. Toulouse by 20+

[@cedricpicard9016]

That's exactly what dupont said when the groups were announced: we need to get max points out of every game we play in the group stage

[@tvpc3194]

The moment of no excuses as arrived. Lets see what the Saffas bring to this comp

[@mthunziphakathi4215]

Sharks have major injuries.

[@brunodesbergesdarz]

@@mthunziphakathi4215 no excuses, he said...😅

[@moebiusmoebius9041]

Exactly! No excuses! The Sharks will see if they can cope with a team like Toulouse, and Toulouse will see if they're as good as their latest results suggest, or if their previous opponents were just too weak for them (no offence - Ulster and Exeter are good teams, but still a long way from Toulouse).

[@arno222444]

Agreed no excuses, don’t justify.

[@themisterdoggy]

Good video title Tim ! To all SA supporters here and elsewhere who keep calling Dupont an "average club player who doesn't travel south", your wish has been granted. Can't wait for this one 😄. Thanks Tim as always, excellent analysis !

[@jimcusack433]

Leinster Bulls couple of years ago, near national teams, incredible game. This looks as good

[@alexandregarcia9726]

Fat Butcher is a restaurant is in Stellenbosch. Amazing place! I used to go there quite often. I say that as a Frenchy :)

[@etiennetavitian3361]

Obviously Toulouse will go full strength in SA: the champions cup is their main goal, every year. They sent a very young team (average 21 years old) in La Rochelle last weekend for two reasons: to rest their best players before taking the plane to Durban, and to test their youngsters before the 6 nations, when their international players won’t be available.

[@zarg64]

The N°1 objective of any Top 14 team is to win the Top 14 above all else, and the Cup is just the icing on the cake.

[@T2Lam10]

Top 14 ans champions cup are equally important I think but the format makes it possible for Toulouse to play B-C team in top 14 sometimes and easily make the top 2 while in champions cup if you don’t win all your pool games you make it so hard for yourself to go all the way.

[@etiennetavitian3361]

@zarg64 true for most teams, but Toulouse is a bit different, I think. And they seem to understand perfectly how to play the champions cup.

[@Zveebo]

@zarg64 Not for Toulouse. They want both - but if they can only have one, it’s the Champions Cup they prioritise.

[@zarg64]

@@Zveebo je ne pense pas non !

[@jlsimonable]

Good review One comment :Lebel the most underrated player in rugby

[@EggchasersRugby]

He is ace!

[@Zveebo]

He is amazing when he gets the chance, but equally he sometimes makes some colossal mistakes. That’s why Toulouse don’t always play him - just one of those players that has a level of inconsistency built in.

[@cedricpicard9016]

​@@Zveebohe was a great prospect in the U20 team, but has consistently disappointed at top level. And compared to capuozzo, i'd pick capuozzo any day. And for france, LBB has his number also

[@JahnBeukesMusic]

I'm a Lions fan (go ahead, laugh!) so forgive me, but it seems like the Sharks just aren't...gelling. I know it sounds weird but they don't seem to be on the same game page or plan. I gotta go with Tim here: anything's possible, but I can's see the Sharks beating Toulouse right now. Toulouse could compete with a Test match side, so I reckon its going to be a looong day for the Sharks. Toulouse by 17...(Ons gaan NOU braai, Tim!)

[@TheBrushGuy]

If Toulouse play a strong team, Sharks are going to be absolutely thrashed.

[@nicopienaar]

Dupont is the team. World Rugby still needs to amend the Laws to allow a player to start on their own without requiring the other 14 players.

[@Alfoxito]

Dupont is clearly not alone​@@nicopienaar

[@FareedLoyiso]

Bok front row

[@atlas.heart.O]

​@@nicopienaar In top 14 Dupont played only 3 games this season ;) So he is not the team.. but playing Toulouse is already a War.. Dupont is the nuclear bomb who kill your last hope 😂

[@Elric30]

​@@nicopienaar😂😂 Imagine the other 14's...

[@kropotkine9640]

Toulouse will send the top team, they want to be top of their pool to have the home advantage in the play off

[@RichardChopplet]

Hello, thanks for your video, very good. I think Toulouse by 15 pts

[@domgold30]

For those in France the game will be on tv on "France 2" at 16h05 tomorrow😀🗼

[@daeganmartin2527]

As a sharks fan i am nervous...😅

[@justsceptic3085]

you can...

[@vtvt6656]

Then : Sharks 20 - Tls 15 at half-time. IF Tls "click" in second half (as they very often do) : Sharks 25 - Tls 40 full time :-)

[@mitcheljeavons2182]

Jack at 7 at Tom at 8 for England at the moment would probably be the two best in their position form wise that we have available right now...hopefully Tom gets his shot this six nations.

[@zachariepillon5531]

Not picking pita ahki is diabolical

[@EggchasersRugby]

I put him on the bench, because I'm guessing he might be on the bench - Barrassi has been starting.

[@maximorenatonia8724]

great one!!!

[@kristian762]

Whats the temperature like in France at the moment? Not sure what its like in Durban, but where i live its been averaging 40°c and its humid as balls. Might have an impact on the game...

[@Oxirius_]

Its winter in france, maximum 15 degrees but Toulouse is in the South of france, not the same temperature as in UK

[@kristian762]

@Oxirius_ thanks ja and I see it's been raining in Durban, and there might be some cooler weather moving in

[@Amandla-Awethu]

Toulouse were on the plane over with me from Paris. They have brought all their stars, so I’m sure they will play them. The luggage crew at OR Tambo made them wait an hour for their luggage. The mind games start already.

[@StevenM1985]

I have to be up at 7am in Canada for this.

[@atlas.heart.O]

And you will not regret !

[@StevenM1985]

@atlas.heart.O you are 1000% correct

[@TheSward94]

I agree that the global calendar is a mess. I broke it all down to see how much of a mess it was…. It’s shocking but I reckon I have a solution 😮

[@teocarre4026]

whats the solution?

[@TheSward94]

@teocarre4026 so first thing to say is that the Top 14 is a real issue when trying to sort the calendar. 30 games (including post season) played over 11 months is very difficult to crowbar into any calendar but here we go. (It might be easier to get a calendar out and mark it out but I'll try and explain it) Currently the competitions sit like this: Top 14 - 30 games - Aug to June Prem - 20 games - sep to June Urc - 21 games - Sep to May Super - 19 games - Feb to June Champs cup - 8 games - Dec to May The leagues extend for so long because they overlap each other and are interrupted by the international windows. Which means the top players that are playing for the top clubs and have international duties are essentially being pushed and pulled over the world through all these combined competitions. My New calendar would have the prem and URC start in September, half way through the rugby championship, play continuous weeks with the finals being played in January before the six Nations. Super rugby would start in October after the rugby championship finishes, play continuous weekends with the final being played in Feb. As I said the Top 14 is an issue with just the sheer amount of games but I would suggest it starts in Aug plays until Feb where it breaks for the 6 nations, it would then continue in April with the final being played in May. The champions cup would start in April with the final in June (it's not ideal with the top 14 calendar but the top 14 should be about finished by the time the group stage finishes) This would leave a gap between mid June and Aug for an international window. There are no autumn nations in my calendar. Ideally there would be some restructuring of the competitions but this is the best case for an organized calendar as far as I can see. @EggchasersRugby by all means you can ask for the presentation I've made (yes I am ridiculously sad and need to find a better way to spend my free time)

[@superbowljoel01]

Toulouse to take it unless the sharks manage to turn the game into a dogfight. if it's a track meet, i don't think they can hang with toulouse's firepower

[@zwet4269]

Toulouse to win by 40. I'm a Sharks fan and this is going to be one sided

[@inamortz2372]

The new rules were you can only field the one Mapimpi will hurt the Sharks unfortunely

[@mrwelshmun]

Anyone know where I can watch this in the UK?

[@Zveebo]

@@mrwelshmun Premier Sports

[@vtvt6656]

Cross the Channel lazy man 🤣

[@Zveebo]

@@mrwelshmun It’s on Premier Sports in the UK.

[@mrwelshmun]

@Zveebo thanks!

[@hyonimarru]

I reckon that the only way the sharks can have a shot at beating DuPont and co… is by making the game a dog fight. They must not look to play pretty rugby as Toulouse will wipe the floor with them but just duke it out. Hopefully the expected rainy conditions will help out in this regard.

[@JanGreyAndSoOn]

If the French players arrive focussed and play well, they should win. The Sharks will probably need a game wherein they at last click together plus Toulouse to have a careless day ( as France has done away from home in the past) to win.

[@romainviry3185]

no chance Toulouse is having a careless day.

[@jayduplessis7698]

This is NOT France vs. Springboks. We know from Barbarian teams that the number of international players don't make a team great - and the Sharks, with all their Springboks, are definitely not a great team (yet)... The pretty average Stormers beat them recently. So Toulouse (probably the best club team on the planet right now) should beat them convincingly.

[@GerianKock]

I'm a Sharks fun and there is no way the sharks win a full star toulouse team🤣🤣

[@OskarBosco-o2w]

There is a chance, probably a one in thirty chance

[@k1ngcab00se]

No Saints vs Bath Ollie Lawrence chat? 😢

[@billasgija390]

Only The Ox, Eben and Am makes it into the Toulouse starting team

[@johanesterhuizen1842]

@@billasgija390 Am is so badly off form, shouldn’t even make it in the sharks starting team

[@chrismouton1985]

I'm afraid the Sharks will lose this one handily, especially with Esterhuizen and Fassi out. Toulouse by 15.

[@matthewcullislive633]

Excited and going to be a great clash but while the Sharks have improved and their depth is better than last season, the direction and coaching is outdated and predictable. Injuries also haven't helped. This sharks team can win but can't keep playing off scraps especially against toulouse

[@davidleroux3849]

Playing in a national championship and the Champions Cup requires a substantial budget and we all know that the TOP14 is the richest championship. Can the profits for the clubs in the Champions Cup equalize these differences in the long term?

[@BillWhitlingham]

Not without a big TV contract that just isn't there right now

[@glennvanzyl4066]

Toulousse is going to win, i wanted their b team.my sharks havent won atop tier cup bulls stormers i will say theres a shot, but sharks we are the bridesmaids it's a killer game but we whil lose

[@izizovitch]

Who will be refereeing this one?

[@vtvt6656]

If Ben O'Keefe, Toulouse will loose 🤣

[@izizovitch]

@ you guess my thoughts

[@coreyv8150]

@@vtvt6656 A Kiwi ref in the Euro Cup? Yeah, nah. Luke Pearce is the ref.

[@WillievanZyl]

Steak-chasers 😂

[@DM-rp9ik]

A small glimpse of what this tournament could be if the organisers got out of their own way. Looks like it's heading for a sell out.

[@Omega_G-Hlumii]

Your belly talking 😂😂

[@EggchasersRugby]

Amazing curry, amazing steak, Bunny Chow. I want to go back!

[@monsieursarcasme7064]

As a French Toulousain supporter I hope to see a nasty cheating 1 point victory for our side, with a lot of problematic actions just to give a taste of what we lived during the world cup.

[@speak_your_truth.]

Cry harder 😭

[@AntonChigurh989]

No Esterhuizen, Fassi or Grant Williams can't see the sharks winning

[@killin.479]

Don't understand it with the french. I understand a potential Grand Final is more important than a "meaningless" test match series against the ABs/Spingboks etc. But you reverse it and you can guarantee the springboks/abs would not play club rugby and would play the Internationals. I guess its just a culture thing?

[@ashishd380]

Yeah the French are a bit weird that way

[@jameswyatt4443]

It’s a pathological fear of losing to the Springboks and All Blacks.

[@EggchasersRugby]

Absolutely a culture thing. It's hard to comprehend outside of France. I would wish for every rugby fan to see a club game in France - the noise, the passion...it's so unique. Top 14 is by some distance the most lucrative league in the World. Miles ahead of Prem and URC currently. Maybe the only area of club/provincial rugby anywhere which makes money. And a big part of that is how engrained the teams are within the culture and identity of the towns. Players can only play so many games. South African players rest during their URC season (especially the away games). Ireland do the same thing. French players rest in July.

[@CROM-on1bz]

@@jameswyatt4443 Afraid of losing to the All Blacks? Well, not really, the last three games are there to prove it.

[@henryburton6529]

It's a money thing too. AB's and Springboks could only dream of making a fraction of the cash France does with the Top 14 Final

[@PFarrell]

I genuinely think that if the Sharks come fully loaded , all their " star " players are playing to their absolute best and Toulouse have a slight off day then I can only see Toulouse win by 40 !!

[@wot4922]

😂😂😂 Eish 🦈🇿🇦

[@emihlentingi9722]

Am?

[@nicopienaar]

Hollywood Sharks against Dupont Toulouse.

[@justsceptic3085]

ramos,ntamack,meafou,willis,cros,malia,aki,kinghorn,etc,good luck...

[@PhilBritz-u8k]

Hey Tim, remember Durban, French and rain are not friends.

[@moebiusmoebius9041]

For sure. The same weather than the 1995's one could help Sharks

[@vtvt6656]

@@moebiusmoebius9041 Yeah, new sport during that infamous semi final : Water Rugby...

[@bipper64]

unlike the ref Derek Bevan and the magnificent golden watch that the president of SA federation offered to him after the game

[@lawofficeofdanielstewartpl7669]

Toulouse by 17

[@johanesterhuizen1842]

The Sharks basically only have Ox and Eben who would be counted as the current top 10 boks, the others are past their prime or simply not interested to play provincial rugby .

[@jeanhauter7812]

excuses....already! Reading saffas fans for months telling us that Dupont is only an overated player because he is never playing in the SH as he is too scared.....he is coming now and it seems like the same saffas are scared of losing .....so funny!

[@briangovender7435]

Grant Williams will give Dupont a go he better half back in SA

[@xaviermurray7698]

Sharks to win only just and upset the apple cart this weekend

[@RUGBYDNA]

Can the Sharks take down the three kings of france? kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHrdp6Nvm82Sidk

[@henryburton6529]

Its not southern hemisphere fans. I've never heard a Kiwi or an Aussie suggest DuPont is anything other than an incredible player. Salty Saffas? Yeah all the time

[@subbie5498]

dupont were criticized by nz because they aren't sending their best team to nz next ye

[@aldobonaso3481]

Saffa fans also say he's an incredible player, but some just have the opinion that it's way too early to call him the goat. Nothing wrong with that. Calm down snowy

[@RealmBuildInteractive]

Get out more buddy.

[@chris5240]

You'd fit right in with that attitude.

[@henryburton6529]

@@aldobonaso3481 No they don't. They think at least 4 current SA players are better than DuPont. Hell most think Kolisi is better than DuPont

[@zarg64]

I really get the impression from watching the haters oops ! sorry the comments of some that they don't understand how important club rugby is in France, and that it provides a living for 3 divisions below, that it makes a lot of small countries progress alongside it, they spit on the top 14 but don't talk about their juniors who come to take a big salary to play for 6 months and leave as mercenaries eh?

[@jamesbenjamin8078]

PLEASE, PLEASE……..I love your coverage of french rugby but IT IS EN-TAMACK, and not UN-TAMACK. Please don’t commit the sins of all other english rugby commentators and give respect to the man by pronouncing his name correctly.

[@romainviry3185]

Well.... In Cameroon, where his father Emile was originally from, you do not pronounce the "N", it's a mute one. So, no offense but you're very wrong. It's not EN-TAMACK, it IS UN-TAMACK. Same for Kylian Mbappé by the way.

[@jamesbenjamin8078]

But we are not in the Cameroon……I am a French citizen, living in France

[@romainviry3185]

@@jamesbenjamin8078 well, it's NOT for you to choose how to pronounce his name and it does not depend on where you are. Am french too and I don't understand why you had to state it. Btw, what's wrong about Cameroon ? Btw, Romain is my fav player, as his daddy was ^^

[@LittleBigMediaCo]

Expect to see him melt in Durban. 29 Deg C, 81% humidity, & rain - which is mostly irrelevant, because with 81% humidity in Durban you're the same amount of soaking wet indoors or outdoors in the rain. He'll be a puddle after 90min.

[@brunoc129]

Sometimes you get +40 °C in Toulouse, so if they can get used to the weather with this week, I am not sure they will melt in Durban

[@LittleBigMediaCo]

@@brunoc129 Spoken like someone who's never experienced 81% humidity in Durban in 30 deg heat ...

[@brunoc129]

​@@LittleBigMediaCo Even if there is cold temperatures in Europe right now, they can maybe get used to the different conditions with this week of preparation, since you can get similar weather in summer at Toulouse. I was just pointingthaat out man, you know, just for talking. No need to be so condescending, especially when you clearly have no clue about how the weather can be in southern Europe.

[@brunoc129]

​@@LittleBigMediaCo Spoken like someone who clearly have no clue about South of Europe's weather. (Pleaase keep beinng condescending it makes you look smart)

[@LittleBigMediaCo]

@@brunoc129 I've spent plenty summer time in southern Europe, Spain, France, Italy, the islands, Greece, & Turkey. Yacht life. I've also spent plenty time in Durban during Jan / Feb. Guess you have major egg on your face now, making assumptions about what I know. You on the other hand have reliably proven that you have zero idea about the Durban humidity. So sit back down Bruno. Learn better English. Don't ever extend yourself, it makes you look 'not so smart'. You chicken team supporters are too much.

[@greenplasticgun]

We don't hate Dupont. We don't think he's bad. We don't hate the French team. We enjoy French Rugby. We don't blame Dupont and his mates for not playing in Aus, Argentina, NZ and South Africa. The French playoff at the WC was one of the greatest matches I've ever seen and the French fronted up physically to the Boks like not many teams ever have. Dupont will probably have a blinder against the Sharks. What we scoff at is calling Dupont the GOAT, and let's not forget what that means, the greatest player to ever have played the game of Rugby Union when the bloke has never toured South Africa (has he even ever played at altitude?) or New Zealand, the two greatest rugby nations of all time. We don't mind calling him incredible. One of the greats. The best of the NH. The greatest French player of all time. But when you have players like Habana, Carter, McCaw, Eben, PSDT and the like, who've done it all, North and South, calling him the GOAT is a bit of a farce.

[@Opitoukisskiss]

I agree entirely (and I'm French). AD is only one of the best ever. That says a lot already. It's an immense compliment. The "GOAT" meter is irrelevant in most activities and all the more so at rugby, which epitomizes collective sport. There is no such thing as the GOAT in rugby.

[@chris5240]

I am a saffa and Dupont is simply the best. Denying it seems so stupid when you can clearly see how good he is. Nevermind the mountain of statistics too. He is a great athlete, but he is the best because of how he reads the game and the plays he makes. Hemisphere is an arbitrary division that we make...it literally means nothing...and if that is what your argument hinges on - you need a better argument bru

[@greenplasticgun]

@@chris5240 SA teams fly further in SA for away games than Dupont travels to other countries in the 6N

[@greenplasticgun]

@@Opitoukisskiss I agree that the GOAT debate is absolutely worthless in rugby and takes away from what makes rugby special. You can't count what a 9 does above what a 1 does, even though it seems World Rugby will never stop trying.

[@T2Lam10]

You won’t see a French person saying he’s the GOAT. A few English/Scottish pundits have said it once and since then Saffa never stop talking about it, without any one bringing up the topic. He is 28, halfway through his career. That chat doesn’t make any sense, purely on thar fact. He is on a good path to become « one of », but he’s got a long way to go. Still Six nations titles to win and a World Cup.

[@BillWhitlingham]

Toulousain by 40+ and Dupont player of the match. The jealous SA tears in the comments are fantastic. Wait until he destroys your heroes 😂😂

[@subbie5498]

doesn't matter south africa basically owns france 2 world vs 0 french wc in france. France is our homeground

[@aldobonaso3481]

If you read the comments, most Sharks fans are saying that Toulouse will win...no need to be a like that mate.

[@CROM-on1bz]

@@subbie5498 And the tomb of your Olympic ambitions.😏

[@chris5240]

Are you an adult?

[@BillWhitlingham]

​@@subbie5498but SA dodged France on their northern tour

[@JohnMurphy-k8h]

South Africans have gone through so much hardship in general. Add Dupont (the supposed GOAT who never travels to the Southern hemisphere) The Sharka are so fired up for this game, it is another WC final. When South Africans are that fired up, they are hard to stop. Sharks by 5.

[@Alfoxito]

Bro you are delusional 😢 Look how sharks struggle against stormers , remember Toulon destroyed them... and toulouse is way above Toulon...

[@Forest9528]

This absolutely does not count as going south bro Club games are you joking. Club games will never ever be equal to international games

[@AttackTheGasStation1]

In France, it is.

[@Forest9528]

@AttackTheGasStation1 are they playing in France? No Will the french win a world cup till they wake up and stop acting like they're equal? Also no

[@AttackTheGasStation1]

@@Forest9528 So dumb. There is a club culture in France, something that does not exist in SH.

[@romainviry3185]

That is idiotic as well : if going to SA is not flying south then we all have a geography issue. But again, who cares about your idiotic opinion, certainly not me yet I wanted to point that out

[@Forest9528]

@romainviry3185 so he's to afraid to come down and face national teams that'll beat him but he's completely OK coming down to face clubs that have a quarter of the budged that his club has When we say he doesent play in the south we're talking about the ABs and Boks. He isnt facing rhe ABs and the Boks so year this match absolutely does not count towards the argument

[@AllInTheGame01]

Or is 14 Teams in the Top 14 simply not realistic & conducive re congested fixture lists & tired bodies in the modern age & that 12 should be the absolute max allowed?!

[@jameswyatt4443]

100% agree

[@EggchasersRugby]

LNR (Top 14 Governing body) and Canal + (broadcaster) pay the players wages. And since the money they deliver is so huge they have too much power for that to happen currently. The Top 14 is the only part of club or provincial rugby, in the entire world, which makes money. For every other country, international rugby is what funds everything else.

[@sirfrancis6058]

It's the only league that is somewhat good at generating money. Without the top14 and France you wouldn't have as many pro Georgians, Fijians, Portuguese and so on. France is allowing hundreds of players from all over the world to make a living playing rugby. Going down to 12 could jeopardise this

[@CROM-on1bz]

@@EggchasersRugby Because in France rugby is above all a sport of villages, of small clubs, in the south west of France each village with at least 600 inhabitants has its rugby club even if it is extremely modest it is a question of culture.

[@jameswyatt4443]

@ Nonsense, there’s only 4 good teams in France, the rest suck.

[@robcrocker348]

So finally we Might get to see the 5th/6th player in the world in the south for a change, no wonder it's absolutely pouring with rain and thunderstorms in kzn at the moment

[@henryburton6529]

Antoine is better than any two Springboks combined

[@l8on17]

@@robcrocker348 DuPont is the best player on the planet, when Dan Carter calls you a freak and Beauden Barrett said he’s a cheat code to play against sort of tells us all how little ypu understand Rugby. I’m guessing you’re South African by the way you are talking, apologies if you’re not but I’m extremely confident you are, it’s the saltiness which gives it away

[@subbie5498]

​@@henryburton6529if he were he'd have beaten sa in the qf kolbe is way better anyway what is dupont record against sa 1 win in 10 games

[@henryburton6529]

@@subbie5498 Sadly Rassie paid his mate to maim him in the group stages so he was diminished. Still Man of the Match IMO

[@chris5240]

@@subbie5498 Mate, Dupont is better than Kolbe. Why do you ask? Dupont has far more significant touches per game. Kolbe doesn't get much ball. In terms of controlling a game, Dupont does it...Kolbe is incredible and an absolute beast...but Dupont is better unfortunately. I am a Sharks fan too, so I hope Dupont has an average game hehe...but I am keen to see him.

[@Santiago007-l5o]

Du Pont is a tremendous player but I just don’t get how an overwhelming majority of the northern hemisphere pundits have anointed him the GOAT. We in the southern hemisphere just can’t agree with that take when we haven’t seen him play in the testing conditions in NZ or the highveld in SA. Forget the 🐐 discussion, is even better than Aaron Smith or Fourie Du Preez for the best 9 of all time?

[@EggchasersRugby]

GOAT aside (so hard to judge between eras and between positions), all I can say is he is the best player I've ever watched live. His talent is undeniable. He's a player people will talk about for generations. Best 9 of all time - possibly/probably by the time his career is done (he's still got years ahead). GOAT? mostly irrelevant for reasons given above. We should just enjoy watching him - along with the other rugby superstars.

[@Santiago007-l5o]

@ I hear you. I’m excited about going to the game on Saturday and he’s the reason why. Finally I get to the magician live

[@zisssssou]

The most amusing thing about this GOAT debate, is all these discussions are relaunched by... SH fans, just to push their hate towards the player. For example, in France, nobody is buying this GOAT thing as Rugby is considered as the most collective spirited sport. As rugby fans, we should all enjoy to watch Dupont play, rather to lose time in bullshit social media polls. Thanks.

[@Santiago007-l5o]

@@zisssssou I’m a rugby fan just like you and I consume all rugby content both from the SH and the NH. I don’t hate Du Pont and as I’ve said he is a tremendous player. I’m excited that it’ll be my first time watching him play live. But almost all the discussions regarding him from the NH pundits prefix it at the start of each video/discussion that he’s the greatest player of all time.

[@zisssssou]

​@@Santiago007-l5o Well, there is no mystery these NH or SH pundits will always use hyperbolics to make react their audiences and it seems to work well with you 😉 "Is Dupont the goat?" or "Are Boks the best team of all time?" etc...Just forget the outrageous headlines, actual rugby is cool to watch whether you prefer Dupont marvels, Sheehan punch, Kolbe slaloms or Savea superpowers, etc... We won't have always have the same quality in a generation.

[@ivanmynhardt]

Fassi over Ramos

[@romainviry3185]

That's not happening. Ever. You're comparing a good young lad to a prime lad here. Fassi has a LOT to learn before seing Ramos' shoulders

[@alexandregarcia9726]

Never in the world! Not yet definitely. Maybe in the future, who knows.

[@waynepatterson1206]

Ag Tim this depondt guy is so so so overrated, it is only the media keeping him alive, he should stay there in France.. Most overrated player to talk about these days. So over it

[@l8on17]

@@waynepatterson1206 when a South African back wins WPOTY in 15’s and 7’s maybe you’ll be less salty

[@kropotkine9640]

It's not the media it's his way of playing that puts him on the top During last Champions Cup season he had the best overall stats and way ahead of JGP who is a very good 9 1st in number of carries (125) and offloads (21) Joint 1st in turnovers won (13) 2nd in meters made with 594 (better than Kinghorn, Freeman and Lowe). Also 2nd in clean breaks 14 (better than Bielle biarrey, Lowe and Penaud) 3rd in defenders beaten (25) Joint 4th in tries scored (5)

[@subbie5498]

​@@l8on17we've had many dupont is so good after playing 3 tournaments besides most teams are weak nowerdays a fiji nz rsa would put 20-30 on the current french team with dupont

[@subbie5498]

@kropotkine9640 but when the gameplan revolves around dupont he's gonna get more ball and spotlight

[@kropotkine9640]

@@subbie5498 Nope because the adversaries are targetting him more than any other player

[@eugenioandreabruno2093]

Dear Tim: this is the first meaningful game for Dupont in this career. He had a non-existent RWC 2019, and a poor game against SA in Paris. Never played in NZ nor in SA, so no relevant games ever played in his career.

[@romainviry3185]

Wow I have rarely seen such an idiotic and moronic comment. Congrats on that mate.

[@jeanhauter7812]

as an arrogant human being, you're nr 1:congrats!

[@dn822]

​@@romainviry3185no you have to play in South Africa against South Africa and New Zealand against New Zealand. Ots a completely different challenge. He can't be considered the best.

[@iamnutty8471]

he toured oz with french barbarians!

[@TheMatthewLoder]

And probably no grant williams this weekend sadly 🥲 hopefully Bongi, Etzebeth and AM pass their fitness tests

[@chris5240]

I think if we have Grant we have a chance.

[@TheMatthewLoder]

@ I’m praying he plays, but he wasn’t mentioned in the players and how long they will be injured for but also wasn’t mentioned with the possible players returning

[@anyake99]

Haven't seen Grant in this week's training photos

[@chris5240]

@@anyake99 I think he lost a faily member