Rugby: French halfback poised to cap off fine season

Uncapped halfback Julien Dupuy won the English championship with Leicester and poised to make his French debut on Saturday. Photo / Getty Images

Julien Dupuy may be lightweight in some respects, but the only French debutant destined to play the All Blacks at Dunedin on Saturday is hardly lacking big-match rugby temperament.

The diminutive halfback from Perigueux in south-west France is set to make his test debut in New Zealand's season-opening international at Carisbrook.

Dupuy, who weights only 78kg, was the odd man out among the original Tricolores touring party - the only uncapped player.

Yet on the strength of his performances in the English premiership this season, Dupuy was installed as the No 1 halfback ahead of 37-cap veteran Dimitri Yachvili - who was chosen to replace the injured Morgan Parra - before the squad left Paris.

Dupuy had a memorable northern winter with Leicester. After seven seasons playing for Biarritz near the Spanish border, the prospect of a regular starting position convinced him to leave for the East Midlands.

Dupuy joined the Tigers this season barely able to speak a word of English, but he soon did his talking on the heavy pitches, cajoling one of the best packs going around while crisply servicing a backline featuring an All Black connection in Aaron Mauger and Scott Hamilton.

If Dupuy felt he was taking a risk leaving his comfort zone, the doubts were soon dispelled.

"It was a good year for me, we won the English championship, lost the Heineken Cup final, I get my first selection (for France).

"I wanted to be No 1 in a big club. It was a new challenge, a new life."

After a strong debut season he took a full part in Leicester's late season ecstasy and agony - beating London Irish in the Guinness Premiership final before losing the Heineken Cup climax to Leinster.

Those recent experiences at Twickenham and Murrayfield have given the 25-year-old the belief he will not be out of place when the French meet the All Blacks for the first time since the 2007 World Cup quarterfinal.

"Those games give me confidence. In each game you have pressure. I know it will be hard against New Zealand but I try to turn it into positive pressure."

Dupuy is on his first visit to New Zealand, though he was given a gentle introduction about what to expect by the Kiwi connection at Welford Road.

Mauger, Hamilton and Craig Newby all offered a general insight about rugby's standing in New Zealand and the haka, though the Otago loose forward probably gave the most pertinent advice.

"Craig Newby said to me to be careful because the first game is in Dunedin and it should be sh** weather."

Still, Leicester hardly equates to the French Riviera so Dupuy has had ample opportunity to engage in forward-orientated slogs.

"When you play in England, the weather is not very good. I know this weather."

So do his teammates, who boast 608 caps between them - an indication of how seasoned this French side is in comparison to the side thrashed when touring here two years ago.

Dupuy preferred to dwell on the heroic French side that visited in 1994 - the only squad to return home with a series win.

"I was eight, but I remember the French players. Fifteen years later maybe we can do the same ...."

In contrast to the last French tour here, it is the All Blacks lacking experience in key areas. No Richie McCaw, no Dan Carter, no Rodney So'oialo. So have they ever been so vulnerable?

The new boy had clearly been schooled up on French diplomacy.

"In New Zealand you can always find another player," Dupuy said.

"I'm pretty sure they will be ready."

So too will Dupuy, although he only met his prospective first five-eighth Francois Trinh-Duc at Charles de Gaulle airport.

"We try to speak a lot at training and afterwards. Like New Zealand, this team is still learning."

- NZPA