Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

11 memorable dates in Thierry Dusautoir's career

Thierry Dusautoir

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.

ADVERTISEMENT

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.

A young Thierry Dusautoir in European action for Biarritz in 2006

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.

ADVERTISEMENT

[rugbypass-ad-banner id=”1473723660″]

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.

Thierry Dusautoir is congratulated after scoring in the 2011 World Cup final

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.

Dusautoir and young Toulouse prop Cyril Baille

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.

Watch every game of Top 14 Rugby streaming live on rugbypass.com, home of the best online rugby coverage including news, highlights, previews & reviews, live scores, and more!

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 3 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors Scott Robertson responds about handling errors
Search