Rugby 7s: “I didn’t really know where I was going,” says Antoine Dupont after his successful debut

“I continue to learn,” said Antoine Dupont on Saturday, star of the French XV engaged this weekend in the tournament of the world rugby sevens circuit in Los Angeles, with the aim of the Paris Olympic Games this summer (July 26 -August 11). Entering the second half of the second group match, Dupont helped the Blues dominate Great Britain (19-12) including a superb kick pass for a corner try from Nelson Épée.

Tell us about your kick for Nelson Épée's test...Antoine Dupont: It's not done much here, even in our system we do very little kicking. When it works, everyone says bravo (laughs) but you can't screw it up because afterwards, the counter can be fatal. It's true that I may have XV habits. Seeing tight defenses that “rush” leaving spaces within 15 meters, it was an opportunity. The opponents are not used to it, but sometimes neither are the partners! Nelson (Épée) is used to being with me in Toulouse.

What are your feelings about this tournament? So far so good. We'll see tomorrow (Sunday), it's the sequence that weighs. I played 14 minutes in the first match (played in full), that's fine, I was still fresh, I hope it won't weigh too much on the matches that will count.

How do you judge your progress at 7? Every time I'm on the pitch I improve. Afterwards I don't do daily assessments to know where I am. I continue to learn, to nourish myself, each time I am on the field I analyze by talking with the guys, I continue to familiarize myself with this sport, for the moment it is not going too bad.

Do you feel the expectations of the media, of the public? I felt it especially in Vancouver (Canada, its first tournament, last week), it was also the curiosity of all the people on the circuit who are not necessarily used to to have, quote, the headliners of the XV try their hand at 7, so they must have wanted to see what I was worth and my motivations. There was a bit of anticipation surrounding it, but I didn't pay too much attention to it. I already had enough to focus on myself, I was excited but also quite a bit apprehensive because I didn't really know where I was going, so I focused on myself to be the best possible.

Is the Olympic objective palpable now? Everyone has it in their sights obviously, then we have enough to concentrate on short-term objectives, Vancouver last weekend, that's the tournament This weekend, there will still be the Asian tour and the Madrid tournament, there are a lot of deadlines before thinking about the Games but obviously everyone has it in their sights.