When Antoine Dupont nearly pulled off an almost impossible try assist in the early moments of the Champions Cup final, you knew he was up for creating history.
As Leinster’s Jamison Gibson-Park collided with him, the Toulouse scrum-half threw an outrageous offload back infield for Juan Cruz Mallia to score what looked to be the opening try.
Replays showed that Dupont’s foot was in touch, but it was the start of a special cup final performance.
Dupont inspired Toulouse to a thrilling 31-22 triumph after extra time at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and ensured his club were crowned European champions for a record-extending sixth time.
Reflecting on his team’s hard-earned triumph, the France scrum-half gave a very humble answer when asked which was his favourite individual moment of the final.
After being named player of the match – and later Champions Cup player of the season – Dupont, described prior to the game by a team-mate as “an alien” because of his outrageous ability, had plenty of options.
However, he simply said it was hearing the full-time whistle and knowing the job was done.
“It is awesome to be able to win with this team,” he said. “We really wanted to win the sixth star after losing to Leinster over the last two years in the semi-finals.
“Extra time is crunch time, money time, and you shouldn’t ask questions, just get your head down and do what you need to do. You win the game mentally.”
