Dupont guides France into Sevens final against Argentina / Photo: Pierre-Philippe MARCOU - AFP
Dupont guides France into Sevens final against Argentina
French rugby star Antoine Dupont, one of the home pin-ups for the Paris Olympics, helped guide France into the grand final of the Rugby Sevens Series in Madrid on Sunday.
Dupont, who captains the France 15-a-side team and starred as his club Toulouse won last week's Champions Cup, stood out in action on Saturday, scoring a superb solo try in a 17-12 extra-time victory over Britain to secure the French team's semi-final berth.
France will play Argentina in the final after beating Fiji 21-14 in the semi-final. The Fijians, the defending two-time Olympic champions, are now 22 Sevens tournaments without a win.
Theo Forner, Rayan Rebbadj and Jefferson-Lee Joseph all crossed for converted tries for France in their last-four match, the latter crossing for the decisive score a minute before full-time.
Argentina beat New Zealand by the same 21-14 scoreline in the other semi-final at Atletico Madrid's Civitas Metropolitano Stadium.
The final, scheduled for 1718 GMT, will be the finale to the most competitive season in rugby sevens history, with the sport kicking off at the Paris Olympics on July 24.
In a good day for the tricolours, the France women's team beat Canada 19-17 to make their final, when they will play Australia, 21-19 victors over New Zealand.
C.Maier--MP
