Antoine Dupont revealed Toulouse’s record sixth Champions Cup title rested on delivering answers and not asking questions when it came down to “money time”.
Toulouse edged out Leinster 33-21 after extra-time at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to lift the top continental crown for the sixth time in their glittering history.
The French giants had Richie Arnold sent off in extra-time, just when they thought the game was finally won.
Dupont and Toulouse held firm however, and powered across the line, with Dupont revealing an unbreakable mindset as key to that victory.
“We knew we would find solutions: when it came to crunch time, money time, you shouldn’t ask yourself any questions,” said Dupont.
“And we didn’t do that, we focused on the exceptional mindset we have built.”
Toulouse paid the bills and then some in north London, inflicting Leinster’s third Champions Cup final defeat in a row and avenging consecutive semi-final losses to the Dubliners from the previous two seasons.
“The more difficult it is, the better it tastes, but we would have happily won that game easily,” admitted a delighted but shattered Dupont.
Scrum-half Dupont – comfortably already the best player in world rugby – has spent time in Sevens action this season, preparing for the summer’s Olympics with France.
Players from 15s do not switch between the two formats, principally because it is too difficult to excel in both, and certainly not at the same time.
Dupont has made a mockery of that thinking though – even having improved his 15s game through his Sevens training.
Not for the first or last time in his exceptional career, the 27-year-old appears to have achieved what was conventional wisdom would deem impossible.
Dupont’s two turnover penalties both proved crucial to Toulouse’s triumph, fending off key Leinster attacks. The preserve of back-row forwards, Dupont has now added one more exceptional skill to his armoury.
“It’s a great joy for us to have won this now,” said Dupont.
“I haven’t really targeted improvement at the breakdown, but in Sevens the rucks are really important, so I have had to hone my skills in that area. I’m not going to talk too much about the 7s though because Ugo will not be happy with me!”
When Dupont demurred and claimed he had not targeted the breakdown, his head coach Ugo Mola, and fly-half Romain Ntamack, flanking him, both started giggling like school kids.
When the best player in the world, perhaps the best player of all time, finds a way to improve again, maybe all anyone can do is laugh.
