France captain Antoine Dupont: I ruptured my cruciate ligaments against Ireland

The scrum-half was helped from the pitch in the 29th minute following an incident with Tadhg Beirne and Andrew Porter

LAY-OFF: Antoine Dupont has ruptured his cruciate ligaments. Pic: Niall Carson/PA

France captain Antoine Dupont is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after rupturing his cruciate ligaments during Saturday’s Six Nations match against Ireland.

The scrum-half was helped from the pitch in the 29th minute of France’s 42-27 victory following an incident with Tadhg Beirne and Andrew Porter, in which Beirne fell on his right leg during a ruck clearout.

In a post on X, Dupont said: “The heart hurts even more than the knee when you have to leave your friends before the last step. I am proud of what we accomplished yesterday and with all my strength with you, you will do it.

“Rupture of the cruciate ligaments. This is the beginning of a new challenge, I’ll see you in a few months on the field.”