France have suffered a major blow for the Six Nations as Top 14 Rugby club Toulouse have announced that their captain Thierry Dusautoir has been ruled out of the championship.
The 32-year-old flanker – capped 65 times and world player of the year in 2011 – will be out for four months after he tore a tendon in his right biceps, Toulouse head coach Guy Noves said.
rugbyweek
France finished bottom of the Six Nations last year and start their campaign this term at home to England in a fortnight.
The 30-man squad are due to meet up for a training camp at Canet-en-Roussillon later on Sunday.
Dusautoir, who Noves said will undergo an operation on Tuesday or Wednesday, suffered the injury in four-time Heineken Cup champions Toulouse’s final pool match of this season’s competition on Saturday, the 16-6 away win over Italian side Zebre.
“We feared it was a serious injury,” said Noves.
“We hoped that the scans wouldn’t confirm the original diagnosis.
“His injury adds to a growing list of serious injuries to key players.
“That makes it five to six players of the highest quality that we have lost,” added Noves, referring to injuries to former All Black fly-half Luke McAlister, French international centre Florian and utility scrummager Gregory Lamboley.
This is a big blow for them
Who do you think is going to end tops this year
My prediction:
England
Wales
France
Ireland
Italy
Scotland
1 @ Gena_ZA:
I have it slightly different from you, but not by much.
I recon Ireland will be boyed by the End Of Year game against the All Blacks, so I would put them ahead of France… and maybe I’s move Italy down to 6th.
So, for me it’s as follows:
1. England
2. Wales
3. Ireland
4. France
5. Scotland
6. Italy
Ireland could surprise, and could pip Wales.
@ grootblousmile:
@ Lion4ever:
Ireland are the biggest underachievers of the 6N in the last 15 years.
Their club sides continually dominate the Heineken Cup and yet they consistenly fail at International level. Why?
Wales are exactly the opposite – not as good at club level and lots of off the field issues and good at International level
Common factor here = quality of coaching staff of the national side I say
@ Scrumdown:
Bad coaching, team selection or our own old enemy, provincialism? With the number of foreign players playing in France, and on last year’s performance will France do better than Scotland? England and Wales are the only 2 that we can sure of making the top 2.
@ Lion4ever:
If ever there was a candidate country for worse provincialism than SA, Ireland must surely be it.
Ulster v the rest? Catholic v Protestant. Republic v The Crown??????
And we thought we had problems?
1000 years of division and still as bad as ever, despite what we’re told in the world media.
@ Gena_ZA:
Welsh “club” Rugby still suffering the hangover from the success of the 70’s.
Many top English and Welsh clubs from the “golden amateur era”, (Llanelli, Swansea, Ebbw Vale, Coventry, Blackheath etc etc) all got left behind when Professional Rugby came along, and still haven’t recovered IMO.
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