Berliner Tageszeitung - 'All lights are go' for Dupont's Toulouse ahead of Top 14 final

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'All lights are go' for Dupont's Toulouse ahead of Top 14 final

SPORTS 16.06.2023

'All lights are go' for Dupont's Toulouse ahead of Top 14 final / Photo: © AFP/File

Toulouse scrum-half Antoine Dupont said on Friday "all lights are go" before this weekend's French Top 14 final with La Rochelle.

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Dupont's side finished top of the table after the regular season and will face the two-time Champions Cup winners, who were second, on Saturday in Paris.

Both teams skipped the play-offs to reach the last weekend's last-four thanks to their place in the standings.

"We managed things well over the past weeks after reaching the semi-finals directly," Dupont told reporters.

"Opposite us will be a team full of confidence after a great season.

"All lights are go."

La Rochelle, coached by former Ireland fly-half Ronan O'Gara, have lost just once since February.

The run includes May's Champions Cup final victory over Leinster, their second continental crown in as many seasons.

"It gives them extra confidence," France captain Dupont said.

"But there's also a difference between the Champions Cup and the league.

"The speed is different, the refereeing isn't the same, the style of play is quite different.

"They've had a good season but we too have a lot of reasons to be confident. It will be a great battle tomorrow," the 26-year-old added.

Saturday's sold-out fixture at the Stade de France takes place with the Rugby World Cup less than three months away.

France will host New Zealand in the tournament's opening game on September 8 after four warm-up matches in August.

Toulouse could have up to 20 players selected for the competition including Dupont and a plethora of his Test team-mates as well as Australian lock Richie Arnold and Argentina backs Juan Cruz Mallia and Santiago Chocobares.

"We will say goodbye to a big part of our squad," Toulouse coach Ugo Mola told reporters.

"I hope to see the France squad members as late as possible in the year.

"The others little by little after they have been battered by France," he jokingly added.

B. Semjonow--BTZ