Maybe it was the most startling scrum-half display seen at Cardiff Arms Park since Gareth Owen Edwards was in his pomp.
Certainly it was fitting that the aforementioned Welsh No. 9 legend was there to see it.
Antoine Dupont went over for a collectors’ item of a score himself and set up three more tries for Toulouse in their 39-7 Heineken Champions Cup win over Cardiff.
Throughout the game he appeared to be operating on a different planet from everyone else on the pitch, not just thinking quicker than those opposing him but acting a split-second faster as well.
One moment, in particular, underlined that rugby can be a game that takes the breath away as well as one that occasionally sees the breath knocked out of those playing it.
With Toulouse having secured a perfect attacking position, Dupont quickly surveyed his options before putting in a cross-field kick of eye-popping geometric brilliance. It thumped into the grasp of wing Arthur Bonneval, leaving him with the simple job of finishing.
The nonplussed look on Josh Adams’ face told a story.
Understrength Cardiff were being undone by genius.
Watching from the BT Sport commentary box, two ex-Wales internationals were similarly taken aback.
“I’m going to sound like a teenager here but that was sick,” said Shane Williams, who knew a thing or two about coming up with special moments himself.
“The call was there from the touchline for the kick to come but how Dupont, first of all, has heard that and to kick from that kind of angle… it’s just inch perfect.”
Sam Warburton was equally incredulous at the recently crowned world player of the year’s ability to fashion a score that few in the ground had seen coming.
“I put my head in my hands in almost disbelief at how talented he is. It’s a phenomenal kick,” the ex-Wales and Lions captain enthused.
“He’s got it all going on around him, voices coming in left, right and centre and he’s trying to get the ball away. He steps up and just pings it. It’s a perfect kick-pass across the pitch.”
Chess in a world of draughts, then.
However you paint it, it was wonderful to witness.
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