France Captain Antoine Dupont criticizes refereeing in narrow Rugby World Cup loss to South Africa
Posted : 16 October 2023
France's captain, Antoine Dupont, expressed dissatisfaction with the refereeing in their 29-28 loss to South Africa, which eliminated them from the Rugby World Cup.
Dupont, who returned from a facial injury for the quarterfinal, believed that several decisions by referee Ben O'Keeffe went against France. He acknowledged the South African team's performance but felt that some key calls were missed.
While Dupont criticized the refereeing, France's coach, Fabien Galthie, refrained from joining in the criticism. He pointed out the importance of a moment when South African lock Eben Etzebeth fumbled an interception attempt, which could have had a significant impact on the game. Galthie congratulated South Africa and emphasized the need for bravery in defeat.
Despite the heartbreaking one-point loss, Galthie had no regrets about their World Cup campaign. He praised the players for their efforts over the past four years and the positive impact they had on French rugby.
Galthie confirmed his commitment to continuing as coach, looking ahead to the upcoming Six Nations competition and viewing their World Cup journey as another chapter in the story of the French national team.
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