Antoine Dupont, France’s world-class scrum-half, is undoubtedly an extraordinary athlete, widely regarded as one of the best to ever play the game. His dynamic skills, pace, and vision have earned him the title of two-time World Player of the Year. However, despite all his accolades and abilities, it’s tough to crown him the best No. 9 the sport has seen since its professional era began in 1996. For that distinction, South Africa’s Fourie du Preez stands out as the benchmark.
Currently, Dupont was in South Africa with Toulouse for their Investec Champions Cup Pool match against the Hollywoodbets Sharks, the defending champions of the EPCR Challenge Cup. This marked his first visit to South Africa since 2017, when he played the final 24 minutes of France’s third Test against the Springboks. France lost that Test 37-15, completing a 3-0 series defeat. Those 24 minutes were the only professional rugby experience Dupont has had in the Southern Hemisphere up to that point. He has never toured New Zealand, Australia, or Argentina with the French national team
At 28 years old, Dupont is undoubtedly a remarkable player. His athleticism is similar to that of legendary South African scrum-half Joost van der Westhuizen, especially in terms of the impact he can have on a game. Like van der Westhuizen, Dupont possesses a level of skill that is thrilling to watch—quick-thinking, strong defensively, and a major attacking threat. However, the one aspect that stands out in Dupont’s career is the fact that he has played all his professional rugby in Europe, primarily with Castres and Toulouse, with the occasional international tournament for France.
While Dupont did compete in the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, his team’s performance fell short of expectations. France won three pool matches but narrowly lost to Wales in the quarter-finals in a heartbreaking 20-19 defeat. Nevertheless, Dupont’s contributions to both his national side and Toulouse have been significant, helping France to Six Nations success and guiding Toulouse to Top 14 and Champions Cup titles.
Despite Dupont’s tremendous individual and team achievements, there’s still a sense that the conversation around him being the greatest to ever play rugby is premature. He is undeniably one of the best scrum-halves in the world today, but to claim he is the best of all time, or the greatest No. 9 since rugby went professional, might be a stretch.
For many, that title belongs to Fourie du Preez. Du Preez’s career, which spanned the Bulls, Suntory in Japan, and the Springboks, is marked by an unmatched array of individual and team successes. With the Bulls, du Preez won three Currie Cups and three Super Rugby titles, dominating the southern hemisphere rugby scene for years. Internationally, he was integral to South Africa’s triumph at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, playing a central role in orchestrating the Springboks’ success. His decision-making skills, especially under pressure, were often described as extraordinary by his coaches and peers.
Du Preez’s career was not just confined to South Africa. He also made a major impact in Japan, playing for Suntory, where he helped them win three Japanese League titles and one Japan Cup. His combination with current Japan coach Eddie Jones during their time in Japan was particularly potent, with du Preez’s tactical kicking and game management complemented by Jones’s coaching.
In total, du Preez finished with 164 appearances for the Bulls in Super Rugby and the Currie Cup, 45 appearances for Suntory, and 76 Test matches for the Springboks. His role in guiding South Africa through the 2007 World Cup, when they triumphed in France, cemented his status as one of rugby’s all-time greats.
Du Preez was revered by many of the coaches who worked with him. Eddie Jones, who worked closely with du Preez during the 2007 World Cup and again in Japan, once referred to him as “the best decision-making halfback I’ve ever seen.” Jones went on to liken du Preez’s on-field influence to that of an NFL quarterback: “It’s like having a coach on the field.” Similarly, Heyneke Meyer and Jake White, both of whom coached du Preez at the Bulls and the Springboks, praised his cerebral approach to the game.
Du Preez’s career spanned an era where the professional game saw many superb scrum-halves, including All Blacks like Justin Marshall and Aaron Smith, Wallaby George Gregan, Welsh legends Rob Howley and Mitch Phillips, Argentina’s Agustin Pichot, and others. Despite this, du Preez’s combination of vision, composure, and tactical acumen stood out as the most complete, making him a standout figure in this era of No. 9s.
In fact, du Preez is often likened to the ultimate fly-half, Dan Carter—equally capable of dictating the pace and outcome of a game with their rugby intelligence and composure. Together, they would have formed the most potent halfback pairing in rugby history.
While Dupont’s raw aggression, passion, and physicality make him a special player to watch, when it comes to overall control, tactical awareness, and game management, du Preez’s legacy remains unmatched in the professional era. His influence on the field, particularly in high-stakes matches like the World Cup final, set him apart as the most complete scrum-half the world has ever seen, written about, and witnessed in action.
Dupont is undoubtedly one of the best players of his generation, but when it comes to the best No. 9 in the history of professional rugby, Fourie du Preez still holds that distinction.
