Champions Cup final: Antoine Dupont's staggering record against Leinster - for all the wrong reasons
The 27 year-old has started four games for Toulouse against Leinster - three at scrum-half and one at out-half - and lost all four by more than two scores
Who is afraid of Antoine Dupont? Not I, says the Blue boy. Because, let's face it, the French half-back's record against Leinster is rubbish. He has just one win in eight games - and that came as a sub five-and-a-half years ago.
The world's greatest player may be shredding other sides in Toulouse and Paris and in locations as far flung as London, Rome, Tokyo and back again. But Leinster are his kryptonite!
Consider this; The 27 year-old has started four games for Toulouse against Leinster - three at scrum-half and one at out-half - and lost all four by more than two scores. His only victory for Toulouse against the Irish province was five games back when he came in as a replacement with 26 minutes to go.
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That was a game only decided in Toulouse's favour by a late intercept try - the breakaway coming as Leinster pressed for a bonus-point try deep inside the Toulouse 22m.
Dupont played Leinster a further three times while at Castres; there was a loss in his first season as a pro in 2014/15, a 2016/17 loss and a 2016/17 draw.
Indeed, talking of who's afraid of Dupont, Ireland aren't afraid of him either; his record rests at three wins and three losses.
It's a particular set of statistics, I'll warrant, given we can see just how devastating the physical, elusive, little maestro can be on his day.
And at a guess it points to Leinster's back-row set-up - Ryan Baird, Jack Conan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris, Will Connors, Max Deegan, whomever - as far, far above average at club level.
If there is another factor at play, and this was alluded to by Ian Madigan the other day, it is Jamison Gibson-Park's pace.
The Leinster and Ireland scrum-half is not a noted tackler but it may be his pace helps with shutting down Dupont's options, driving the Frenchman into the big paws of the Leinster search-and-destroy back-row.
This latest Champions Cup final meeting is, of course, the Toulouse star's chance to put things a little more to rights.
But if there is to be another ineffective display on Saturday, it surely makes Leinster the value bet at even money and 11/10 in some spots!
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