Andrew Porter has dismissed suggestions of foul play and explained that Antoine Dupont’s knee injury in last Saturday’s game against Ireland was simply an accident. The Irish prop also sent a well-wishing message on Instagram to the French captain who limped off the pitch in Aviva Stadium.
Porter was reacting to French coach Fabien Galthié, who said in a press conference after France had beaten Ireland 42-27 that he had referred Tadhg Beirne and Porter to the citing commissioner for possible retrospective punishment.
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Galthié said there was “anger” in the French camp over the “reprehensible” incident, which was not referred to the television match official (TMO) during the game, and that Dupont was “suffering”.
Dupont left the field early in the first-half of the Six Nations clash. It was subsequently confirmed that he had ruptured cruciate ligaments in his knee.
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Porter added that he sleeps well at night knowing that he didn’t do anything illegal and that while the injury to Dupont was unfortunate, it is part of the risk of playing Test match rugby.
“He [Galthié] can say what he wants, see how far it gets him,” said Porter. “No, I wasn’t disappointed. I knew what I did. I didn’t go out to try to injure anyone. That’s not the type of player I am.
“If he wants to think that, that’s up to him. I even sent Antoine a message on Instagram just to see how he was. Obviously you never want to see anyone going off the pitch like that. If you have the head coach calling for your head, it’s a bit much.
“But he’s such a pivotal player for them that they nearly don’t want him to be touched at all. He [Galthié] is entitled to his opinion but I know I haven’t done anything wrong there. I sleep well at night.”
Porter added that the injury occurred in a way not unlike that of Leinster and Ireland backrow Dan Leavy, whose career was ended with a catastrophic knee injury in 2019. The extent of Dupont’s injury is unknown, but Leavy, who was part of Ireland’s 2018 Grand Slam winning team, was forced to retire two years after he was hurt playing against Ulster after specialists advised him to hang up his boots.
Like Leavy, Dupont also caught his knee among collapsing bodies. Porter said that nobody was to blame.
“It was a rugby incident. I can barely remember exactly what it is,” said Porter. “I think it was in a ruck, his leg got trapped in between a ruck, when he was trying to counter it and he obviously just got trapped and went over .. but that’s rugby, that happens.
“I don’t think anyone was calling for anyone to cite when Dan Leavy did his knee a few years ago, which resulted in him having to finish his career early. It happens so much in this sport, that’s the nature of it, injuries happen, and that was a rugby injury.
“There was no malicious intent surrounding it at all. It’s obviously unfortunate and unlucky. But it’s just what happens.”
Much of this focus for Ireland this week has been on shaking off the disappointment of France playing their way to the top of the championship table with a view to winning the last match, against Italy. The championship is in French hands against Scotland, but recent history suggests Galthié‘s side are far from guaranteed a victory, as the last 10 meetings between the countries have resulted in six wins for France and four for Scotland.
Scotland’s last win came in 2023 in Murrayfield in a pre-World Cup warm-up match.
Italy must go back to 2013 for the last time they beat Ireland in Stadio Olimpico. Since then, Ireland have won all 15 meetings by two scores or more. The closest was during the 2015 Rugby World Cup when Ireland won 16-9 in the Olympic Stadium in London.
“You’d be lying to yourself if you said you weren’t still thinking of that game [against France],” said Porter. “There are parts of that game that stand out for me, I’m sure other lads are the same. That’s just the nature of the beast. That is what professional rugby is ... you have ups and downs. But it’s, I suppose, the privilege of being in the position. We get to go out and play this weekend and right a few wrongs. It is obviously tricky coming off a loss like that, what can you do [other than] get back up on the horse and keep going.”
Ireland’s game is the first of the day, in Rome at 2.15pm. Wales face England in Cardiff at 4.45pm and France close the competition with Scotland in Stade de France at 8pm. An Irish win could exert some pressure.
“That comes from getting all our preparation right this week, from each and every day in the lead-up to it. If we’re blocking out all the sideshow and the other games when we’re at our best, we’re near unstoppable,” said Porter. “That’s what we’re looking to do. We’re not going to be looking too much into what’s happening in the other games, all we’re going to be doing is putting ourselves in the best position.”
