Antoine Dupont: "This Competition Feels Different"
Listen to the story
Antoine Dupont, the captain of the French national rugby team, known as Les Bleus, has spoken ahead of an important match.
France are preparing to face Fiji in the second part of a nations rugby competition. Dupont said this competition has a 'different flavor' compared to others.
The French team is also dealing with grief after sad news affected the squad. The team has not forgotten what happened, and it continues to think about it.
Dupont's comments suggest that the players feel a special sense of meaning in this competition, beyond just winning games. The emotional situation seems to have brought the team closer together.
France will try to focus on their performance against Fiji while carrying these emotions with them. The match is an important step in the nations competition.
Rugby fans are watching closely to see how the French team will respond, both emotionally and on the field, during this period.
Vocabulary10 words
- captain
- the leader of a sports team
- competition
- an organized contest between several teams
- grief
- deep sadness, often after a loss
- squad
- the full group of players in a team
- performance
- how well someone does in an activity
- emotional
- connected to strong feelings
- meaning
- importance or purpose behind something
- nations competition
- a tournament between different countries' teams
- focus
- to give full attention to something
- step
- a stage or part of a longer process
📚 Ready to use these words in a real conversation?
Practice live with a real tutor on Preply.
Quiz
Answer key
1. It has a different flavor or feeling 2. Sad news affected the squad 3. True
✅ Nice work on the quiz!
Keep the momentum going — book a live English lesson with a Preply tutor.
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Antoine Dupont, the _____ of the French national rugby team, known as Les Bleus, has spoken ahead of an important match.
France are preparing to face Fiji in the second part of a nations _____. Dupont said this competition has a 'different flavor' compared to others.
The French team is also dealing with _____ after sad news affected the squad. The team has not forgotten what happened, and it continues to think about it.
Dupont's comments suggest that the players feel a special sense of _____ in this competition, beyond just winning games.
France will try to _____ on their performance against Fiji while carrying these emotions with them.
Rugby fans are watching closely to see how the French team will respond, both _____ and on the field, during this period.
Discussion questions
- Why might a sports competition feel 'different' to a team?
- How do you think grief affects a team's performance in sport?
- Do you think personal emotions should be shared publicly by athletes?
- What would you say to a team dealing with sad news before an important game?
🎓 Enjoyed this story?
Turn today's reading into real speaking practice with a live Preply tutor.
