Damian Penaud scored a hat-trick as sensational France ran riot against Namibia in a 96-0 win at the Rugby World Cup, but that could be overshadowed by an injury to Antoine Dupont.
Les Blues hit the ground running when Penaud caught a Dupont kick to score after seven minutes and did not let up as Jonathan Danty grabbed the second and Charles Ollivon the third after a brilliant handling move down the right wing.
Penaud and Danty each got their second before Thibaud Flament, Dupont and Louis Bielle-Biarrey made it eight in the first half for a 54-0 lead, the last of those potentially the pick of the bunch as a glorious crossfield kick off from Dupont’s left boot set up Bielle-Biarrey.
Divan Rossouw crossed the line for Namibia with an interception early in the second half but it was ruled out for a high hit on Dupont, which earned Johan Deysel a red card and forced the France captain off the field worryingly holding his jaw.
Against 14 tiring men for 35 minutes France scored further tries through Baptiste Couilloud, Penaud’s hat-trick, Bielle-Biarrey and Ollivon’s second.
Melvyn Jaminet got himself involved too before a late penalty try was awarded to the hosts, and with Thomas Ramos landing 12 of his 13 conversions, they overhauled their previous record win, also against Namibia, 87-10 in the 2007 World Cup in Toulouse.
There was briefly the chance of France bringing up a century, as they kept the ball in play from the restart and attempted to run the length of the pitch, but that proved too big of an ask even on this magnificent night for Les Blues.
