Easterby 'excited' by challenge of facing Dupont under Paris lights

Ireland take on Les Bleus in the tournament opener on Thursday evening. 

Defence Coach Simon Easterby. Pic: INPHO/Ben Brady

Finding ways to stop Antoine Dupont from weaving his rugby magic could be enough to give defence coaches sleepless nights but Ireland’s Simon Easterby insists the challenge of keeping France’s talismanic captain shackled this Thursday is an exciting one.

Toulouse’s former World Rugby Men’s XVs Player of the Year is set to lead his country for the first time in 11 months when Ireland visit Stade de France for their Guinness Six Nations opening-round clash. It was against Ireland in Dublin that Dupont sustained a serious cruciate ligament injury during the first half of the Aviva Stadium encounter yet France still inflicted a 42-27 victory in their leader’s absence.