TYLE OF RIVES t'$i$;tg$$iTr,ere it not for the presence won in Paris since 1972 (at the Stade 2 g $-$g$ of the French, the Colombes), has never won at Parc des .a* , i:b$ International Champ- Princes, and has scored only one try :::$ :::$ :$: :& ionship - the annual against France in Paris in the last five :::?,** *,P**q domestic competition or South Africa. But the story was not visits since 1980. involving Ireland, England, France, always so. These days, the French are feared and Scotland, Wales - would be considerably France was a late arrival to respected opponents. The international poorer. Perhaps it may be going rather international rugby, and first played at successes arguably would be even more too far to say that France has revol- this level on l January, 1906, New frequent were it not for the occasional utionized international rugby in this part Zealand being the opposition, all of tendency to self-destruct against much of the world; all the same, French style, thirty-one years after Ireland had first lesser opponents. But this is also under- flair, skill and spirit of adventure has taken the field. They lost their first standable, so high are the standards added an infinitely wider vision to the twelve international matches, and which they have set. concept of how rugby should be played. success did not come until Scotland was Down the years, France has produced With little discernible difference defeated (16-15) at the Stade Colombes in many of the greatest players ever to have between hulking forwards and dashing Paris on 2 January, 1911. The first game graced the world's international rugby backs in terms of athleticism and talent, between France and Ireland was played playing fields. Their names are legion, French teams are invariably lithe and at Lansdowne Road on 20 March, 1909, for they are indeed many, and it is agile, and often make their opponents when Ireland won (19-8), and it was not impossible to say which of them has look lumbering and leaden-footed. until 3 April, 1920, that a French victory made the most impact. But a strong case Creativity is the word that most readily was achieved with the 15-7 win in can be put forward in this regard for comes to mind, emphasizing the French Dublin. Jean-Pierre Rives, truly the renaissance belief that William Webb Ellis was right, That was France's 32nd international rugby man - athlete, bon viveur, art when at Rugby School, in 1823, he took match, and only its second success. More collector and boulevardier. In a single, the ball in his hands and ran with it, thus recently, as no rugby follower will need old-fashioned word - dashing. giving the game its first and distinctive reminding, things have somewhat It was the task of the present writer to hallmark. changed. The record against Ireland now interview Rives, who was on a business The French are formidable inter- stands: played 62, Ireland won 25, France trip to Dublin some years ago. His national opponents, the only one of the won 32, draw 5. And to underline more English was adequate, if not fluent, but Five Nations which can be seriously emphatically the strength of French he was a happy and relaxed talker, compared with New Zealand, Australia rugby in recent times, Ireland has not willing to give of his time and to The legendary Tom Clifford captained this Limerick selection against Auvergne. Brian OfBrienwas the first Shannon player to win an international cap, when he was picked as a centre against France in Paris, on 27 January, 1968. non-IRFB opponents. He won his first cap against England at Twickenham on I February, 1975, when France won by 27- 20, and would certainly have won many more caps except for troublesome injuries. Having already led France against Romania, Ireland was Rives' first IRFB opponent, in a drawn match at Lans- downe Road on 20 January, 1979. France won eighteen matches under Rives' captaincy, with one draw. He captained France to its third Grand Slam ('Grand Chelem' en Franqaise) in 1981, having also shared in the 1977 success, and might have repeated that achievement in 1984 (when France was by far the best team in the Championship), had not indiscipline against Scotland at Murray- field cost France five penalty goals and ultimately the match. But the story about Sarah Bernhardt is apposite. Many, many times, Rives himself proved that the willing spirit can move the weak and battered flesh to extraordinary feats; that flowing blond, - - - - - shoulder-length hair and blood- The programme of the Old Crescent Selection v Racing Club de France, 1960. splattered jersey made him easy to identify on the field of play. In the second 4 concentrate on the conversation. The would say that yes, she did move, so match*against ~ustraliaat Sydney in only trouble was that he seemed powerful was her performance. This was 1981, Rives played with a strapped-up prepared to discuss any subject under the triumph of will over pain and shoulder which had been dislocated four the sun other than rugby; not because he incapacity, and at the end of the tale, times just two weeks earlier. was reticent or unwilling to co-operate Rives had tears in his eyes. A year or two Peter Bills in his excellent biography but because there are more things in life later, I heard Judi Dench recount the Jean-Pierre Rives - A Modern Corinthian than the game which he graced with same story in her one-woman show at (Allen & Unwin, 1986) records the such distinction. the Abbey Theatre, and it is no disrespect incident: For no particular reason, he told me a to her that I found Rives' version more We all kftew his face well enough; and story about Sarah Bernhardt who, moving. the blond hair, hanging soaked and dank towards the close of her career, had lost Born in Toulouse on New Year's Eve, on a wet rugby afternoon, had already the use of her legs. Yet, in one 1952, Jean-Pierre Rives is his country, been a rallying sight to the youth of production, she played the part of a most-capped flanker, with fifty-nine rugby for some six years or more. And yet, it seemed, nothing could have voung, woman, remaining" throughout., international matches in all. He every scene on a chaise longue, a rug captained France a record thirty times prepared us for the appearance of this covering her useless limbs. The play (out of a total of forty-seven appear- -- man now as he stood at the top of the called for her to mo;e about the stage; ances) against International Rugby pavilion steps contemplating the arena and, said Rives, at the end of a mesmeric Football Board countries, and also led like the infantryman his killing ground. tour de force, everybody in the audience France on four other occasions against His body quivered with adrenalin, and the muscles tightened. Jean-Pierre Rives, reveal the other sides to this man - Rives France's captain, understood what was the art collector, Rives with close at stake: he knew that a physical personal friends quite unconnected with nightmore, an afternoon of unremitting sport, Rives with a different team, one 1 agony, lay before him. Thus, even the which produces a quarterly satirical slightest mental preparation that was magazine, Rives, the he-spirit, clownin calculated to block, at least partially, the about in London on the eve of hi worst of the physical torfure from his international debut. mind was a valuable medicine for him His rugby memorabilia ar that day. away in an old trunk in his Some said afterwards that this was a house in Toulouse and no rugby l show of unnecessary bravado. But on trophies or programmes dec that tour the French squad had been walls of his flat in Paris. When once Ca[ decimated with injuries and Rives, asked, says Bills, about his apparent JOHNI according to Peter Bills, believed that he aversion to trophies, Rives replied: was 1 owed it to his team to be there, as leader, Because I am not an African hunter. I do "g4 no matter how painful or crippling his not hunt trophies. I do not want to hear con a injury. Said Rives: about that. I do not want my house or the fr It is the spirit - l'esptit. Somewhere , my parents' house to look like a rugby niedj something happens. I don't know. Maybe museum. So I give away most things to gentp I should not have played, but I don't my friends; jerseys and things like that. at Si regret my decision because it was good That is better because I know they are Bag{ for the spirit. I was with all my friends in happy with such things. Happier than aftel the team. me, that is for certain. SUP Be that as it may, as a player Rives had But Jean-Pierre Rives has given sports Sco everything. Anything but a big man - followers all over the world far more Cot just an average 5 feet 10 inches and 13 than trophies. He has left us with knC stone - he was blessed with immense memories, as only the truly patgames Cul physical courage, but also possessed far player can; memories of that flowing ed more than that alone; he was a creative hair, of the jersey which so often was the ed.' player, quick and fast, an excellent red badge of courage, memories of skill distributor, a most perceptive support and sometimes near-genius.