French superstar and Olympic gold medallist Antoine Dupont made a breathtaking return to Top 14 duty on Saturday by scoring a quickfire hat-trick of tries.
The 27-year-old scrum-half stepped away from the 15-man code to lead his country to Sevens glory at the Paris Olympics in July.
He then enjoyed a lengthy vacation in the United States but that sojourn has not dented his competitive edge as he led Toulouse to a 48-14 win over Clermont.
Coming on as a 45th-minute replacement to a standing ovation from the Stade Ernest Wallon crowd, Dupont needed just four minutes to grab a first, individual try.
He added two more in quick succession in the 56th and 58th minutes, on both occasions set up by Italian winger Ange Capuozzo.
It had been Capuozzo who had scored Toulouse’s first try in the 27th minute with hooker Peato Mauvaka adding a second as the champions swept into a 20-0 lead at the break.
Full-back Thomas Ramos added a sixth try in the closing stages.
Clermont scored two second-half tries through back-rower Killian Tixeront and centre Pierre Fouyssac.
“Everything wasn’t perfect but the players had fun,” said Toulouse skills coach David Mele.
Dupont last featured for Toulouse in their crushing Top 14 final victory against Bordeaux-Begles in June.
In his absence, they had struggled, suffering consecutive defeats against Bordeaux-Begles, the first at home since February 2022, then a loss at Castres last weekend.
Toulouse’s joy at Dupont’s return, however, was tempered when French international fly-half Romain Ntamack limped off with a right ankle injury just before half-time.
The 37-times capped Ntamack, who was replaced by Argentina’s Juan Cruz Mallia, could be a doubt for the November international series with France facing Japan, New Zealand and Argentina.
Ntamack hasn’t played for France since August 2023 when he suffered ruptured knee ligaments against Scotland and sat out the World Cup.
‘Comfortable’ Farrell
Former England captain Owen Farrell said he was feeling increasingly comfortable at Racing 92 after his team beat visiting Toulon 22-6.
Farrell played the entire match as the Parisians gained their third win of the season. He did not score any points as scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec took the kicking duties and booted 17 points.
“I’m feeling comfortable. I feel like I’ve been here for a while now. I feel like I’m more and more myself,” Farrell said, speaking in English at the post-match press conference.
“The language is still a little bit of a barrier at times, but I feel I’m understanding more what’s being said. I listen a lot and there’s a lot that speak very good English in the team. I’ve got to speed up my French, so I can get points across quicker.”
Elsewhere, leaders Bordeaux-Begles scored 10 tries as they pulverised Perpignan 66-12 with Matthieu Jalibert, Enzo Reybier and Romain Buros all touching down twice.
La Rochelle crashed 37-7 to Bayonne in San Sebastian as Farrell’s former Saracens and England team-mate Manu Tuilagi, returning after suffering a pre-season hand injury, made a convincing Top 14 debut.
Tuilagi made his presence felt when he flattened France captain Gregory Alldritt, a 1.91 metre (6-foot-3) No. 8, with a 32nd-minute tackle.
Bayonne’s other centre, Fijian Sireli Maqala, scored his fifth try of the season.
