Dusautoir feels the pain of World Cup failure

Brendan Gallagher delves into some of rugby’s most enduring images, their story and why they are still so impactful

- Brendan Gallagher

What’s happening here?

It’s October 23, 2011 at Eden Park, Auckland and France have just lost 8-7 to New Zealand in the World Cup final. Skipper Thierry Dusautoir has just received his loser’s medal but steadfastly refuses to look at the World Cup itself. At the end of the tournament function the following night, the flanker duly received the MOM award for his heroics in the final but you suspect that was scant consolation.

What’s the story behind the picture?

Merde! Where do you start? Dusautoir quickly became a totem pole player for France after his debut in 2006, an incredibly physical flanker with a judo background who didn’t even take the game up until the age of 16. With a mother from Cote D’Ivoire he was also a role model for the large French African community.

Dusautoir first made waves with an incredible individual performance in the 2007 World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand in Cardiff in 2007 when he not only scored one of their two tries but logged up an astonishing 37 tackles.

He led the French defiance and unquestionably won his personal duel with New Zealand captain Richie McCaw which is not a claim to fame many can make. Dusautoir always wore the six jersey although he was very much an openside, at least until his latter years.