New game-ending law must be introduced after Antoine Dupont’s unique kick
If there is one player in the game currently that could force the most radical law change in rugby’s history it is Antoine Dupont.
The France scrum-half continues to redefine what is possible on a rugby pitch, as plenty of people are tipping him to go down as the greatest player ever. But the greatest legacy he could ever leave on the game is helping usher in rugby’s equivalent of a knockout punch, and he unveiled the move against Scotland on Saturday at the Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium in Saint-Etienne.
It came early in the second-half when France led 27-10, and it just looked like a regulation box kick for the Frenchman. However, once the ball had landed in the arms of Scotland’s Blair Kinghorn, the game of rugby had changed for ever. Put simply, Dupont broke the ball.
The France captain managed to actually kick the air out of the ball, meaning it was nothing more than a floppy piece of plastic by the time it reached the Scot. The only thing that is necessary now is to make it a law that it is an automatic win to any team that are able to break the ball.
This is a move that is only really reserved for the creme de la creme like Dupont, but is a handy tactic if ever your team is losing. This will make any demolition of a team interesting right until the end as they will always have the possibility of kicking the ball into oblivion and gaining the win.
Make it happen!
Take a look at the kick:
Antoine Dupont kicking the air out the rugby ball. 😂#FRAvSCO | #FRAECO pic.twitter.com/0sS6Ujn7GI
— Darren (@SaffasRugby) August 12, 2023
Though France enter their home World Cup as one of the favourites, Dupont will have to make do without his club and country halfback teammate Romain Ntamack. The flyhalf has been ruled out of the World Cup after rupturing his ACL against Scotland on Saturday.
