'Potentially world class': Antoine Dupont sings praises of Scotland star ahead of Six Nations France clash

Such has been his impact at Toulouse that Antoine Dupont has labelled him “potentially world class”.

High praise from the best player on the planet but the results speak for themselves. Kinghorn helped Toulouse win a league and Champions Cup double in his first season and the team are well placed to repeat that feat. They currently lead the way in the Top 14 and are through to the last 16 in Europe.

Dupont has enjoyed playing alongside the full-back/wing, who moved to Toulouse in December 2023, and admitted to being taken aback by just how good he was.

“It's a pleasure to play with him, to be with him off the field as well,” Dupont said on the eve of the tournament. “He's a very nice guy. I think he loves to live in Toulouse as well.

“I discovered him on the field. I played against him in the Under-20s as well, but I didn't know him very well. I was very surprised about his skill level, his physicality. He's tall, he's strong, he's fast.

“He has a very good pass, very good skill. I think the last two games he was very good and I think he has the potential to be a world-class player.”

Kinghorn is one of three French-based players in the Scotland match-day 23 who will face France in Paris tonight in the Six Nations finale. Ben White, the Toulouse scrum-half, will start for the Scots while lock Ewan Johnson, who plays for Oyonnax in the second tier Pro D2, has been switched in for Jonny Gray of Bordeaux-Begles on the bench due to injury. Soyaux-Angouleme’s Alexander Masibaka is part of the wider squad.

Several others have experience of playing in France, most notably Finn Russell who spent five successful seasons at Racing 92 in Paris. Duhan van der Merwe, Scotland's record try-scorer, had a season at Montpellier, Dave Cherry played for Stade Nicois in the lower divisions and Rory Sutherland was a team-mate of Johnson’s at Oyonnax last season. Jamie Ritchie, the Scotland flanker, has agreed to join Perpignan in the summer.

Sadly for Dupont, he won’t have the opportunity to play against Kinghorn on Saturday night after rupturing knee ligaments during France’s stunning win over Ireland last weekend. He will still join the French squad preparing for the match along with Pierre Louis-Barassi who was also injured in Dublin. Both will be presented with match jerseys ahead of the game.

“A shirt presentation is part of the intimacy of the team,” said Laurent Sempere, the France forwards coach. “They wanted to stay in touch with the team. There are also other players who were part of the 42 during the Six Nations who will join us for the game. Every week 42 players were committed. There were others who allowed others to prepare. We’ve seen the results of that preparation because the injured players want to stay in touch with the team. Those who weren’t in the 42 want to be there tomorrow too. That’s also the strength of this squad.”

In the event of a French victory over Scotland, Dupont is expected to lift the Six Nations trophy with stand-in skipper Gregory Alldritt at the Stade de France.