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It’s almost impossible to distill the career of soon-to-retire rugby legend Thierry Dusautoir into just a few key moments – but James Harrington gives it a go.
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Last week, Thierry Dusautoir finally revealed the inevitable. He has decided to retire from all rugby at the end of the season.
The 35-year-old Toulouse captain bows out after a 17-year top-flight career, having won three French championships with the club, another two with Biarritz, a European Cup, and three Six Nations titles, including a Grand Slam in 2010.
He won 80 French caps and captained his country a record 56 times, leading them – against all the odds – to the 2011 World Cup final in New Zealand. Despite losing that match, he was named World Player of the Year.
Here are 11 key dates in the career of ‘The Dark Destroyer’.
June 10, 2006
Five years after making his top-flight debut for Bordeaux, Dusautoir lifted the Bouclier de Brennus for the first time in the very last of his 53 matches for Biarritz. Ironically, the now-faded Basque Country giants, who are ProD2 also-rans these days, beat Toulouse, the club Dusautoir was moving to and would represent for the rest of his club career.
It was not his first French championship. Biarritz lifted the title in 2005 – and, although Dusautoir was not part of the post-season Brennus-winning squad, he officially has two championship medals courtesy of his two years in the far south-west of France.
June 17, 2006
A week after winning the French championship, Dusautoir scored a try on his international debut as Les Bleus beat Romania 62–14 at the Cotroceni Stadium in Bucharest. He would also play in France’s second and final summer match that year, a victory over South Africa in Cape Town.
October 6, 2007
New Zealanders will remember this date well. The World Cup quarterfinal between France and the All Blacks at the Millennium Stadium is one of those fixed points in rugby space and time. From the moment the French fronted up to the Haka, this was Dusautoir’s match. In front of a crowd of nearly 72,000, he scored the Les Bleus’ first try as they roared back from behind in the second half to stun the perennial pre-tournament favourites – and his personal tally of 38 tackles was a remarkable fraction of the 200 or so the French made in that game. No wonder it won him a World Player of the Year nomination. Lost in the mists of history is the fact that he was not part of France’s 30-man squad for the tournament. He was called up as a replacement for the injured Elvis Vermeulen.
June 28, 2008
Two seasons after joining the most successful club in French rugby history, Dusautoir was the part of the team that won the French championship – his third. He and Toulouse would repeat the trick again in 2011 and 2012, when he captained the club from the Rose City and would have the honour of being the first to lift the heavy shield awarded to the champions of France.
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June 13, 2009
Victories over the All Blacks are to be savoured – victories over the All Blacks in New Zealand, doubly so. This was the date Dusautoir led France to a 27-22 win in Dunedin. It was also the first time he was named captain of the national side.
May 22, 2010
2010 was an impressive year for the player adoring Toulouse fans have lovingly nicknamed ‘Titi’. On March 20, he captained France to their first Six Nations Grand Slam since 2004. Two months later, he led his club to their fourth and most recent European Cup title. Fate, in its twisted manner, would have its way – Toulouse edged Dusautoir’s former club Biarritz 21-19 to lift the Heineken Cup.
October 23, 2011
New Zealand versus France in that World Cup final at Eden Park. France had been in disarray throughout the tournament, losing to Tonga and New Zealand in the group phase. But, by hook, crook, and probably Dusautoir’s iron will, they reached the final. He scored the French try – his last for his country – and made 22 tackles in an epic personal performance. But, he alone could not beat New Zealand. It is probably scant consolation, but Dusautoir later became only the second Frenchman to be named World Player of the Year.
June 24, 2014
Another bittersweet memory. The flanker overtook Fabien Pelous as France’s longest-serving captain, when he led Les Bleus out for the 43rd time in Sydney, Australia, for the final Test of France’s 2014 summer tour. The match ended in a 39-19 defeat for the tourists. Dustautoir would captain his country 13 more times.
October 17, 2015
The last time Dusautoir would lead his country was also the last time he graced an international rugby field. It is unfortunate that he would mark his 80th cap and his 56th outing as captain with a humiliation, as France lost their World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand 62-13. Even he would not escape the recriminations that followed. Less than two months later, he announced his retirement from international rugby.
April 19, 2017
Dusautoir announced he would retire from all rugby at the end of the current Top 14 season.
May 6, 2017
Barring injury or the cruellest selection decision from coach Ugo Mola, May 6 will be the last time the rugby world will see Thierry Dusautoir in a Toulouse shirt. Sadly, and in much the same way as his international career ended in an undeserved failure, the twilight of the French rugby legend’s domestic career has coincided with the fading of Toulouse’s star. His season – and career – will end with a dead rubber match against Bayonne at Stade Ernest Wallon. Which is a shame. But, though he will not get to sign off, as great rival Richie McCaw, Brian O’Driscoll and Jonny Wilkinson all did, with one more trophy in his collection, you can bet that the Toulouse fans will give him the rousing send-off he truly deserves.
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