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Antoine Dupont in action for Toulouse in the match against the Sharks at Kings Park on Saturday. Picture: GALLO IMAGES/STEVE HAAG
Antoine Dupont in action for Toulouse in the match against the Sharks at Kings Park  on Saturday. Picture: GALLO IMAGES/STEVE HAAG

Rugby’s coolest customer actually wore a bead of sweat on his brow in Durban on Saturday.

Antoine Dupont, the Toulouse captain, was pushed to his physical limits by feisty Sharks and Durban’s stifling humidity but he, as is often the case, walked off the field having added another layer to his bulging reputation.

Often presented as the game’s pre-eminent player, Dupont again fully immersed himself in proceedings in Stade Toulousain’s 20-8 victory.

Not all the petite general touched turned to gold but for a player with his level of involvement going blemish free is perhaps wishful thinking. That is especially so when the greasy ball appears to be made of duck fat and when your opposition stick to their defensive duties like Teflon to a pan.

“I had forgotten how the humidity takes you here,” said Dupont, who played only his second match in the southern hemisphere on Saturday. His last visit was also to Durban on debut off the bench for France seven years ago. “It was really tough because of the conditions but because of the Sharks as well — they put us under a lot of pressure.”

Toulouse were exceptionally wasteful. Though they were often breathtaking in fashioning line breaks, handling errors inside the Sharks 22 proved a huge frustration.

“We made a lot of line breaks in the first half, seven or eight. But we didn't score [apart from the try by lock Emmanuel Meafou],” recalled head coach Ugo Mola, who was disappointed his team did not secure a four-try bonus point win.

“The most important thing is to win. I thought we didn’t control the game. To win the game and get a bonus point you need to control the game,” sighed Mola.

Dupont commended the Sharks’ grit and ability to stay in the contest. With Toulouse fluffing their lines inside the Sharks’ 22, the hosts were able to stay in touch, though only at a real stretch from the 43rd minute.

It was then that the obdurate Sharks’ defence was breached for a second time and it took an exceptional pass requiring vision and craft from fullback Thomas Ramos to wing Blair Kinghorn to break the Sharks’ resistance.

Toulouse continued knocking but the Sharks did not budge. In fact, the hosts found some inspiration from the bench with centre Jurenzo Julius and Vincent Tshituka drawing a throaty response from the stands.

“Their bench made a good entry,” conceded Dupont. “They had a good kicking game as well and we made a lot of mistakes in the second half.

“It was a really tough game but I think there wasn’t a lot of ball in play during the game. We saw both teams were really tired since maybe the 10th minute. In better conditions we can play better rugby with more intensity, I think.”

Sharks coach John Plumtree also noted the challenge the conditions presented. “Playing rugby here at this time of the year certainly stresses the player’s skill set, even good ones,” said Plumtree.

Though he lamented his team’s errors, the Sharks coach declared himself proud of their effort, particularly their second half. “They came up with better moments than us,” said the coach.

“We play Bordeaux next week. They play similar to Toulouse in some ways. This will prep us well for it. It might be a bit cooler there.”

Saturday’s defeat has lengthened the odds on the Sharks making it out of their pool that includes four former winners of the Champions Cup.

Their touring group will be revealed on Monday and they may well opt to rotate their squad for the long trek to the west of France.

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