Antoine Dupont set to miss Toulouse trip to Castres

Toulouse will be without Antoine Dupont for their next Top 14 match at Castres, ending the scrum-half’s run after four consecutive appearances. His expected absence is linked to the workload rules agreed by the French Rugby Federation and the National Rugby League, rather than a dip in form.

Toulouse returned to first place with a bonus-point 40-18 victory over Montpellier in the fifth-round finale. Dupont started alongside Romain Ntamack and scored twice in a two-minute burst during an outstanding performance. The result restored Toulouse’s lead at the top, while the enforced break interrupts Dupont’s strong sequence at club level.

The agreement protects 33 France internationals ahead of the 2027 World Cup in Australia. Those players cannot appear in more than four consecutive matches for their clubs without a full weekend off, or two weeks away from competition during an eight-match block. In return, France coach Fabien Galthié cannot select them for more than nine of the season’s 12 international fixtures across the Nations Championship and Six Nations.

Ntamack, who has also started four matches in succession, is expected to be rested in Castres. Thibaud Flament is in the same situation. Kalvin Gourgues remains uncertain after three starts and one appearance as a substitute.