If there is one player who shouldn't have any trouble convincing his coaches he is worthy of praise, it should be World Rugby player of the year and Six Nations player of the championship Antoine Dupont.
But there is actually one French prize which continues to elude him, and that's Shaun Edwards' ultimate accolade for the best defender in a match - a bottle of vintage Champagne Dom Perignon.
Scrum-half Dupont, who led France to a first Grand Slam in 12 years, has admitted former Wales defence guru Edwards - who has been performing the same role with Les Bleus since after the 2019 Rugby World Cup with immense impact - doesn't hand the award out easily. But the 25-year-old Toulouse half-back is hoping his 15 tackles in the 25-13 win over England, equalling the record for a French scrum-half held by head coach Fabien Galthie 20 years ago, may be enough.
