England defence coach Joe El-Abd says Antoine Dupont has been on a trajectory towards greatness since he worked with the France captain as a teenager.
El-Abd spent four years coaching at Castres, a time that coincided with the emergence of Dupont in the Top 14.
“We knew where he was going to go. It was spoken about in the dressing room, even in France, that there was a player coming through that was going to be something a bit different,” said El-Abd on Friday.
“We saw the talent was there right away. So he’s always had it, but aligned with the work that he puts in, it was always going to come to this.
“We need to put him under as much pressure as possible so we don’t see those moments tomorrow.”
Always a bit different – El-Abd on teenage Dupont
