An Irish Pippen to France's Jordan: Why battle of two imperious 9's needs to be savoured

With so much on the line, Jamison Gibson-Park and Antoine Dupont will face off on a Test stage for the first time in three years 

EARLY DAYS: France’s Antoine Dupont and Jamison Gibson-Park of Ireland meet in the 2021 Six Nations clash at the Aviva, a rare Test-stage clash. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie

Jamison Gibson-Park’s days of being second-best are all but over. If Antoine Dupont will be the most talented scrum-half – and player in general - on show at the Aviva Stadium this Saturday then his Ireland counterpart has stepped out of the shadows in every other respect.

This is a man who managed just half-a-dozen starts across two years at the Blues. Whose 15 appearances in one season at the Hurricanes all came via the bench. And a player who spent his early years in Ireland behind Luke McGrath in the queue at Leinster.