Antoine Dupont has had his fair share of plaudits since emerging onto the international scene but when it comes to endorsements, few carry more weight than those from one of the best scrum-halves on the planet.
Over the last decade, Aaron Smith has established himself among the elite No.9s in the game, winning a World Cup, 97 All Black caps and a remarkable six Rugby Championship titles.
He will go down as one of, if not the best scrum-half in All Black history, and yet the 32-year-old has made no secret of his admiration for Dupont, eight years his junior.
When the Guinness Six Nations official Twitter channel asked who the best rugby player on the planet is at this moment, Smith was in no doubt.
He said: “Dupont9A (Antoine Dupont). This guy is on another level. No one is near him at the moment. He’s the point of difference for both his club and country.
“He’s helping me look at parts of my game to improve. #Respect #9Gang”
It is not the first time that Smith has praised Dupont. Last summer while on the treadmill he asked his followers for some questions. When one asked him to name the best northern hemisphere scrum-half, he replied: “Dupont, he’s unreal.”
Of course, Smith is far from the only person who was praising Dupont after his standout performance in Italy when he set up four tries while scoring another himself.
Jason Robinson, the England dual-code great, also singled out the Frenchman for his display which earned him the Guinness Six Nations Player of the Round award.
But what stands out with Smith is that at the age of 32, and having achieved everything he has in the game, he has the humility not only to admire someone from the next generation, but to try to learn from them.
Where Dupont stands among the very best players in the game is of course still subjective. He and Smith are right up there in terms of scrum-halves, while South African fans might disagree and have Faf de Klerk above both of them.
What is certain though, is that Dupont is in the form of his life and his Guinness Six Nations performances are making everyone sit up and take notice.
