France flanker Thierry Dusautoir has announced his retirement from rugby after a nine-year international career which included 34 RBS 6 Nations appearances.
Dusautoir won 80 international caps in all and led his side to the 2011 Rugby World Cup final where they lost in agonising fashion 8-7 to hosts New Zealand.
Such was the quality of the Ivory Coast-born back-row in that tournament, Dusautoir was named World Rugby Player of the Year to add to his long list of achievements in the game.
In 2007 he was the surprise inclusion in French squad for the Rugby World Cup squad and became a mainstay in the back row following the retirements of Serge Betsen and Olivier Magne.
In their famous 2007 quarter-final win over the All Blacks, Dusautoir made an astonishing 36 tackles and scored Les Bleus’ first try – a stunning team effort from their own line.
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Dusautoir led France to the RBS 6 Nations Grand Slam in 2010 starting every game in the back row and, a year later, won the domestic Top 14 title with club side Toulouse where he has made over 200 appearances since 2006.
The 35-year-old Frenchman leaves behind memories of his bustling, carrying style of back-row play. Never taking a backwards step and a relentless breakdown operator, he has certainly been a tremendous servant to French rugby throughout his 80 appearances.
Dusautoir made his final RBS 6 Nations appearance in the 2015 RBS 6 Nations Championship, a 55-35 defeat to England at Twickenham Stadium.
But Dusautoir still has three more weeks to play club rugby in Toulouse and will hope to end the season on a high as he draws the curtain on an illustrious career.
