THE OFFICIAL OPENING ceremony of the Paris Olympics is not for another couple of days, but we can call today’s Rugby Sevens action at the Stade de France the unofficial starting formalities given they were performed by Antoine Dupont. Sure, there were 12 different nations playing twice across a blitz of action there, but – and with sincere apologies to Hugo Keenan – who else but Dupont else could draw a capacity crowd to the Stade de France at 3.30pm on a Wednesday afternoon? France’s square-jawed rugby genius has edified the entire Games by his mere presence with the French Sevens team, and you get the sense that winning an Olympic gold in Paris would be a belated balm for the World Cup disappointment of last Autumn.
That consolation is not necessarily for Dupont, but for every other rugby lover in France. But based on what unfolded in Saint Denis today, that gold medal is likely to be another thwarted shot at glory. Slash the 15s game to seven players if you want, but you still can’t win with a one-man team.
In fairness, what a curious experience this must have been for Dupont’s low-profile team-mates. Where else would they have experienced a crowd this big, and a crowd this expectant? There’s a reason rocket boosters eventually detach after launching someone else into space. What is routine to Dupont would naturally be daunting for his team-mates and, as a result, France were fitful and clammy.
First they were held to a draw by the United States in their open.