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Dusautoir to quit at end of the season
By Peter Thompson
Former France captain Thierry Dusautoir has announced that he will retire from rugby union at the end of the Top 14 season after 16 years as a professional.
The 35-year-old Toulouse flanker won 80 caps for Les Bleus, with a record 56 of those coming as skipper.
Dusautoir claimed three French titles across a five-year period from 2008 to 2012 with Toulouse, as well as a European triumph in 2010 and an additional two league trophies at fellow Top 14 club Biarritz in 2005 and 2006.
An emotional Dusautoir, who was named World Player of the Year in 2011 after leading France to the World Cup final, made his announcement at a press conference on Wednesday.
"This sport has changed my life and I owe it a great debt. I never thought I'd go on to have the career that I did." he said.
"If I'm emotional it's because I'm finishing my rugby playing career at the end of the season,
"It's a very special moment, charged with emotion for me but not sadness, as I'm going to be enthusiastically pursuing a new opening which I've begun to develop, a second life as a businessman."
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Latest Comments
I agree.
I’d like to know what constitutes a 208 week ban though?
Must the eyeball be dislodged? Hanging by a vein?
Go to commentsAlso a Bristol fan and echo your sentiments.
I love watching Bristol but their approach will only get them so far I think. Exeter played like this when they first got promoted to the prem and had intermittent success, it wasn't until they wised up and played a more balanced game that they became a consistently top side.
I really want Bristol to continue playing this brand of rugby and I don't mind them running it from under their posts but I don't think they need to do it every single time. They need to be just a little bit more selective about when and where on the pitch they play. Every game they put themselves under so much needless pressure by turning the ball over under their posts trying to do kamikaze moves when it's not required. By all means run it from your goal line if there is a chance for a counter attack, we all want to see Bristol running in 100m tries from under their posts but I think until they learn to do it and when to be pragmatic, they are unlikely to win the premiership.
Go to comments