#1. Thierry Dusautoir (France)
Dusautoir, born November 18, 1981, is a retired French rugby union player renowned for his exceptional skills as a flanker and captain. A stalwart of French rugby, he led the national team to the 2011 Rugby World Cup final. Dusautoir’s resilience and leadership left an indelible mark on the sport.
Owens said: “My choice as the best skipper I encountered may raise a few eyebrows, but what a captain Dusautoir was. He unfailingly put his body on the line throughout his career — recall the 38 tackles he made when France knocked the All Blacks out of the 2007 World Cup — led by example and understood the game very well.”
QUIZ: Name Every Head Coach to Win the Men’s Guinness Six Nations (2000 – 2023)
The brains behind the Six Nations masterplans, these head coaches have all won ‘Rugby’s Greatest Championship’, since the modernised competition began back in 2000. Throughout the history of the competition, there have been only five head coaches to win the competition on more than one occasion.
However, Ireland head coach Andy Farrell is looking to become the sixth, as he orchestrates the men from the Emerald Isle into defending their Six Nations Grand Slam. In total, the Six Nations has been won by 13 different head coaches, and we challenge you to name them all in the next six minutes!
Your time starts… now! Good luck!