Conrad Smith is in awe of a player from France’s XV, not Antoine Dupont!

Former New Zealand international center three-quarters Conrad Smith was passed notably by Baloise Division Rugby News To evoke the France team.

The latter did not fail to pay tribute to scrum-half Antoine Dupont, a still very dangerous player.

In general, he claims to be in awe of the blues back triangle. Extracts:

“Antoine Dupont is obviously the most dangerous player, but to be honest, the strength of this whole squad impresses me. There are so many talented players in the Blues. The French build consistency and uniformity within the group, and that is also their great quality.

The French full-back triangle is amazing and throughout the squad there are some good players who come and go. And when a new player enters the starting fifteen, because of an injury or because a change is necessary, he always manages to put himself at the level of the team. France is a really dangerous team. »

In the process, Conrad Smith reveals which player he impressed the most on the France squad.

He talks about the Gaël Fickou Centre. Extracts:

“He’s been in the France team for a long time, so I’ve already played against him for New Zealand. To be honest, when I played him he was still very young, but he was already full of talent. I think he was about 19 or 20 when he started for the Blues. I remember being I said to myself: “This, he’s going to be a very good player.

At that time, Fico was not thinking about it and was not aware of it. He was young and continued to develop his game, but today he has been playing for over 6 years and for much longer than DuPont or Netamac. He is a real leader within the team, because he has a lot of experience in the France team. He has all the qualities in attack and defense. He really managed to read the game well, which is very important when you’re playing the 13, especially in the defensive position. He is a real asset to the team at the moment.

I don’t think I played against him, otherwise I would remember him… (laughs). He’s a great player. It’s really cool to watch him play and a lot of people feel that sense of admiration. He seems to be getting better game by game, which is intimidating for any opponent! »