Saint-Denis (AFP)

Young people, players, strategists ... Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack have all the qualities to establish themselves durably at the hinge of the XV of France, which they led to victory against England on Sunday (24-17).

The debacle against the same English opponents at Twickenham last year (44-8), with the hinge Camille Lopez - Morgan Parra, had heralded the advent of the new 100% Toulouse association Dupont (23 years old) - Ntamack (20 years old) ).

Since then, their association has been refined. In club, as with the XV of France, where the waltz of N.9 and 10 ignites the debates since the dawn of time, while the other major nations "install" duets.

"They are two players of great quality, they are different and, at the same time, complementary, it is a beautiful hinge, we have a beautiful hinge", appreciated Monday Fabien Galthié, the day after his first successful on the bench of blues.

In his style of punching, Dupont (21 selections) offered all his technical panoply. Offensively, it was all of a sudden: launching Teddy Thomas for a breakthrough or combining with Ntamack in two passes two movements for the first try of Vincent Rattez.

- "Progress margins" -

He was also decisive on captain Charles Ollivon's second and third attempts; his candle, certainly countered, is at the origin of the second and his slalom full of avoidances, enabled him to offer the third.

Not to mention a devastating tackle at the end of the match, when France "needed a 9th forward" to keep the score, said Galthié.

Romain Ntamack made an effort to play the conductors. By coming to play "at height" to boost the French movements or by taking a step back, to distill the game to the foot.

He thus offered the first try to Rattez. Then used the game widely on the foot, and even scored 9 points on the foot (100% success).

Anyway ... An almost perfect copy for the duo, nuanced by the coach. The XV of France has "margins of progress in all areas", noted Galthié, stressing that the hinge "can be even more effective".

Galthié, former scrum half, looked closely at the "kicking game". The coach believes that "the animation was good" but intends to refine the "ability to type before being forced to type". In other words, master the game on foot, whether defensive or offensive, occupation or pressure.

- "Settle" -

Replaced by Matthieu Jalibert at the end of the match, Ntamack (13 selections), under the eyes of his father and former international Emile Ntamack, may still lack automation in this position, he who plays a lot center with Toulouse but claims his desire to "settle" at the opening.

Settling in pairs would be even better. Because if they are both Toulousains, they did not live much together at the hinge. They have been associated only once, since the World Cup, against the English of Gloucester in the European Cup in January (35-14).

Because if Ntamack quickly resumed after the return from Japan, Dupont treated a problem on the back, before returning to the field on December 29, more than two months after the quarter of the World lost to the Welsh (20-19).

In Blue, the Dupont-Ntamack pair has only been associated six times since the first, against Scotland, in the 2019 Tournament. Balance sheet: four victories and two defeats. "We always have to prove," relativizes Dupont.

Both in any case sweep the questions about their lack of experience: "In the field we do not ask the question of the age we have".

© 2020 AFP