Thierry Dusautoir

Last updated

Thierry Dusautoir
Thierry Dusautoir 2013.jpg
Birth nameThierry Dusautoir
Date of birth (1981-11-18) 18 November 1981 (age 42)
Place of birth Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Height188 cm (6 ft 2 in) [1]
Weight100 kg (220 lb; 15 st 10 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Openside Flanker
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2001–2003 Bordeaux 33 (0)
2003–2004 US Colomiers 9 (0)
2004–2006 Biarritz 53 (30)
2006–2017 Toulouse 207 (70)
Correct as of 25 August 2015
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2006–2015 France 80 (30)
2017 Barbarians
Correct as of 17 October 2015
Medal record
Men's Rugby union
Representing Flag of France.svg  France
Rugby World Cup
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2011 New Zealand Squad

Thierry Dusautoir ( [tjɛ.ʁidy.so.twaʁ] ; born 18 November 1981) is a French former rugby union player who last played for France at international level and Toulouse in the French Top 14 club competition. [2] He was called the "Dark Destroyer" during his career. [3] Dusautoir was considered a strong ball carrier and possessed incredibly powerful and effective tackling. He was considered the best tackler in the world during his career. [4]

Contents

He first played for Bordeaux-Bègles before moving to US Colomiers for one season, and then signed with Biarritz. He played in the final of the 2005–06 Heineken Cup at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, which Biarritz lost to Irish team Munster 23–19. Despite losing the Heineken Cup, Biarritz did manage to win the final of the 2005–06 Top 14 40–13 against Toulouse. He was however part of the side that won the 2010 Heineken Cup final. [5]

Dusautoir captained France to the 2011 Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand. France ended up losing by a score of 7–8. However Dusautoir was named as the Man of the Match for his performance in the final. [6]

Dusautoir was the World Rugby Player of the Year in 2011, the second French player to win the award. He owns the record of most tackles in an international rugby game (38 tackles against New Zealand in 2007). [3] He was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2023. Richie McCaw considered Dusautoir to be one of the toughest opponents he played against. [7]

International career

Dusautoir was called up into the French squad for tests during June 2006 against Romania and the Springboks.

He made his debut for France in a test against Romania on 17 June 2006 at Cotroceni Stadium in Bucharest, Romania, which saw France defeat the Romanians 62–14 and Dusautoir scoring a try on his debut. He played in the subsequent match against the Springboks at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town with France again emerging as the victors. He left Biarritz and signed for Toulouse in 2006. [8]

He is perhaps most famous for his try against New Zealand in the quarter-final of the 2007 World Cup in Cardiff in which he famously made 38 tackles, two more than the entire All Blacks side. His second-half score helped France to a 20–18 victory over the tournament favourites, despite the fact that he was not in the original 30-man squad and was only called up as a replacement for the injured Elvis Vermeulen. He also captained France to a famous 27–22 win over New Zealand in Dunedin on 13 June 2009. He was linked with Leinster Rugby where he would have replaced Rocky Elsom.[ citation needed ]

2011 Rugby World Cup

Dusautoir captained France to the 2011 Rugby World Cup final against the hosts New Zealand, in which he scored France's only try (one of two for the entire game) in the 47th minute (New Zealand's Tony Woodcock scoring the other for the All Blacks) and made 22 tackles, for which he received the Man of the Match award. On the night of the final, one could hear chants of "Dusautoir" coming from the many bars showing the game around the Auckland waterfront. [9] He was named the 2011 IRB International Player of the Year, thus becoming the second player from France to win the award after former captain Fabien Galthié in 2002. Dusautoir won the award over players such as Jerome Kaino and Ma'a Nonu. [10] [11] [12]

In an interview on Total Rugby in July 2012, Dusautoir spoke about a perceived lack of respect towards his team during the 2011 World Cup. [13] He cited a particular picture from the New Zealand Herald in the week leading up to the final which showed Sonny Bill Williams and Israel Dagg laughing during training, with the caption '80 minutes before laughing'. [13] Dusautoir also shared about how France's uncomplicated game plan in the final nearly resulted in a memorable upset:

Our strategy in that match was to resist as long as possible. Having seen the way we were playing throughout the tournament we were aware that we were not at the same level as the All Blacks. That was pretty obvious. But by this time we were sure we were mentally prepared and we were ready to make the most of the opportunity... During the match we played well but we would have liked to have scored a drop goal on top of the great defence we produced. But we played an uncomplicated game and that is ultimately how we managed to surprise them so much. [13]

2012–2015

France's new head coach Philippe Saint-André retained Dusautoir as captain for the 2012 Six Nations Championship, in which France finished fourth.

On 21 October 2012, in a Heineken Cup match against Treviso, Dusautoir twisted his knee in a tackle, suffering a twisted lateral ligament with a slight tear. The injury is expected to sideline him for four to six weeks, meaning that he would miss the 2012 November Tests. [14]

On 11 January 2013, Dusautoir was named in the initial training squad for the 2013 Six Nations Championship, but Saint-André decided to retain Pascal Papé as captain in order to give Dusautoir time to ease his way back into the international team. [15]

Dusautoir lead France to the knockout rounds of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, where they played against New Zealand in the quarter-finals, losing 62–13. Dusautoir announced his retirement from international rugby following the tournament.

He is the second French captain after Fabien Pelous to have beaten Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

International tries

#DateVenueOpponentResult (F–A)Competition
117 June 2006 Cotroceni Stadium, Bucharest, Romania Flag of Romania.svg  Romania
62–14
 Test Match
216 September 2007 Stadium Municipal, Toulouse, FranceFlag of Namibia.svg  Namibia
87–10
 2007 Rugby World Cup
36 October 2007 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
20–18
 2007 Rugby World Cup
425 February 2009 Stade de France, Saint-Denis, FranceFlag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales
21–16
 2009 Six Nations Championship
521 November 2009 Stade de France, Saint-Denis, FranceFlag of Samoa.svg  Samoa
43–5
 Test Match
623 October 2011 Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
7–8
 2011 Rugby World Cup final

Honours

Club

Biarritz

Toulouse

International

Individual

Personal life

Dusautoir was born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. He has a French father and Ivorian mother. He did not take up rugby until he was 16; before that, his favourite sport was judo, which he almost chose as his career, having done it for 13 years and becoming a double brown belt, before switching to rugby. [16] [17]

He is a graduate chemical engineer. [18] He also studied in MBA program at Emlyon business school. [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stade Toulousain</span> French rugby union club, based in Toulouse

Stade Toulousain, also referred to as Toulouse, is a professional rugby union club based in Toulouse, France. They compete in the Top 14, France's top division of rugby, and the European Rugby Champions Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian O'Driscoll</span> Irish rugby former player

Brian Gerard O'Driscoll is an Irish former professional rugby union player. He played at outside centre for the Irish provincial team Leinster and for Ireland. He captained Ireland from 2003 until 2012, and captained the British & Irish Lions for their 2005 tour of New Zealand. He is regarded by critics as one of the greatest rugby players of all time.

The France national rugby union team represents the French Rugby Federation in men's international rugby union matches. Colloquially known as Le XV de France, the team traditionally wears blue shirts with a Gallic rooster embroidered on the chest, white shorts and red socks in reference to the French national flag. Les Bleus mostly play home matches at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, near Paris. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship along with England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. France have won the tournament on 26 occasions, winning the Grand Slam 10 times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biarritz Olympique</span> Rugby team

Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque, usually known simply as Biarritz, is a French professional rugby union team based in the Basque city of Biarritz, Nouvelle-Aquitaine which competes in the Pro D2, the second division of French rugby. Biarritz plays its home matches at the Parc des Sports Aguiléra, which is a multi-use stadium in Biarritz and which has a capacity of around 13,500 people, though for games that need a larger capacity, Biarritz may play at the Estadio Anoeta in San Sebastián. Biarritz play in red and white colours. Biarritz won a number of major honors, including the French championship on five occasions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imanol Harinordoquy</span> French rugby union player

Imanol Harinordoquy is a French former rugby union player. He typically played as a number 8 for Stade Toulousain at club level in the Top 14 and for France internationally. Before signing with Biarritz ahead of the 2004–05 season, he played club rugby at Pau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dimitri Yachvili</span> Rugby player

Dimitri Yachvili Markarian is a French former rugby union footballer who played as a scrum-half for Biarritz and France. He played for France from 2002 to 2012, earning 61 caps and scoring 373 points. With them he played in the final of the 2011 World Cup losing to New Zealand and won two Grand Slams in 2004 and 2010. In club rugby, he won a European Cup in 2012 and played in two European Cup finals in 2006 and 2010 with Biarritz. With this club, he also won two French championship titles in 2005 and 2006. With his previous club, Gloucester, he was champion of England in 2002. After the end of his playing career, he became a rugby consultant, a career he began while still a player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Felipe Contepomi</span> Argentine rugby coach

Felipe Contepomi is an Argentine professional rugby coach who is currently the head coach of the Argentine national side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fabien Pelous</span> Rugby player

Fabien Pelous is a retired French rugby union player. A lock who also occasionally played as a number eight and flanker, he played the bulk of his professional career for Stade Toulousain, and is the all-time leader in appearances for the France national team. He retired as the most-capped lock for any nation in rugby history, with 100 of his 118 France appearances at that position, a record later broken by South Africa's Victor Matfield. Pelous was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fabien Galthié</span> French rugby union player and manager

Fabien Galthié is a French rugby union coach and former player, currently the head coach of the France national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vincent Clerc</span> Rugby player

Vincent Clerc is a former French professional rugby union player who played on the wing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sireli Bobo</span> Fijian rugby union footballer

Isireli Bobo, is a Fijian rugby union footballer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Skrela</span> Rugby player

David Skrela is a former French rugby union player. He most notably played for Stade Français and Toulouse in the Top 14 as well as the French national side as a fly-half or centre. He was renowned for his tackles and his kicking skills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lifeimi Mafi</span> Rugby player

Lifeimi Mafi is a Tongan-born, New Zealand former rugby union player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerome Kaino</span> New Zealand rugby union player

Jerome Kaino is a former New Zealand rugby union player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Servat</span> Rugby player

William Servat is a former French rugby union footballer and is currently an assistant coach for the France national team. Servat played as a hooker for Toulouse in the Top 14 club competition and for France at international level. Servat was regarded as one of the top hookers in the world in the late 2000's, culminating in 2010 Grand Slam & European Cup wins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finau Maka</span> Rugby player

Finau Maka started his playing career for Auckland Rugby Union and NZ age group teams. He played over 50 games for Auckland NPC Team and the Hurricanes, Blues and Highlanders before leaving to play for the Stade Toulousain club in French Top 14. Whilst at Toulouse he helped them win the 2003, 2005 and 2010 Heineken Cups, as a replacement in 2003 and starting in the 2005 final. He played in two Rugby World Cups for Tonga and was one of the stars of the 2007 Rugby World Cup. In 2011 he led his country to beat France in the biggest upset in Rugby World Cup history. France went on to almost beat the All Blacks in the final.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fetuʻu Vainikolo</span> Rugby player

Fetu'u Moana Vainikolo is a Tongan rugby union player who for the Utah Warriors in Major League Rugby (MLR). His regular playing position is Wing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Heineken Cup final</span> Football match

The 2006 Heineken Cup Final was a rugby union match played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, on 20 May 2006, to determine the winners of the 2005–06 Heineken Cup, European rugby's premier club competition. The match was contested by Irish province Munster and French side Biarritz. It was the 11th Heineken Cup final overall and the third final appearance for Munster, while Biarritz were competing in their first final. It was the second time the Millennium Stadium had hosted the Heineken Cup final, the other being in 2002, and the fourth to take place in Cardiff, including finals played at the old Cardiff Arms Park.

The 2008 Heineken Cup Final was the final match of the 2007–08 Heineken Cup, the 13th season of Europe's top club rugby union competition. The match was played on 24 May 2008 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. The match was contested by Munster of Ireland and Toulouse of France. Munster won their second Heineken Cup title with a 16–13 win.

The 2011 Rugby World Cup Final was a rugby union match between France and New Zealand, to determine the winner of the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The match took place on 23 October 2011 at Eden Park, in Auckland, New Zealand. New Zealand won the match 8–7, the smallest margin by which any Rugby World Cup final has been decided.

References

  1. ↑ "Thierry Dusautoir". Official 2011 RWC Site. International Rugby Board . Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  2. ↑ "News, Scores, Results, Features". 18 August 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  3. 1 2 Taccard-Blanchin, Fabien (12 September 2015). "Dusautoir, le "Dark Destroyer" est né le 6 octobre 2007". rugbyrama.fr (in French). Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  4. ↑ "Thierry Dusautoir". rugbypass.com. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  5. ↑ "Biarritz 19-21 Toulouse". BBC. 22 May 2010. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  6. ↑ "AWARD FOR DUSAUTOIR". eurosport.com. 24 October 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  7. ↑ "Legendary All Black Richie McCaw ranks his five toughest opponents". Ruck. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  8. ↑ "My Rugby World Cup hero: Thierry Dusautoir". Planet Rugby. 18 August 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  9. ↑ "Thierry Dusautoir leads one of the greatest losing performances in defeat to New Zealand". The Daily Telegraph. London. 24 October 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
  10. ↑ "Dusautoir crowned IRB player of year". ESPNscrum. 24 October 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
  11. ↑ "France's Thierry Dusautoir named player of the year by IRB". The Daily Telegraph. London. 24 October 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
  12. ↑ "Dusautoir named rugby player of year". CBC Sports. 24 October 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
  13. 1 2 3 "Dusautoir lifts lid on France's World Cup campaign". ESPNscrum. 18 July 2012.
  14. ↑ "France captain Thierry Dusautoir set to miss autumn Tests". BBC Sport. 21 October 2012.
  15. ↑ "Pape to captain France in Six Nations". ESPNscrum. 11 January 2013.
  16. ↑ "Dark Destroyer with an arsenal of weapons". The Irish Times. 3 March 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  17. ↑ Guinness, Rupert (20 June 2014). "French captain Thierry Dusautoir: the man who can lead from the brink of despair". amp.smh.com.au. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  18. ↑ "Thierry Dusautoir: The gatecrasher" . The Independent. London. 13 October 2007. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
  19. ↑ "Lessons in leadership for rugby legend Thierry Dusautoir" . Financial Times . London. 6 December 2020. Archived from the original on 11 December 2022.
Preceded by French national rugby union captain
2009–2015		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.