Vincent Clerc

Vincent Clerc (born 7 May 1981) is a former French professional rugby union player who played on the wing.

Born in the city of Échirolles, suburb of the south of Grenoble (Isère), Clerc first played rugby at FC Grenoble, helping them reach the Top 16 before moving to Toulouse in 2002, where he played until 2016. Clerc earned his first cap for France on November 9, 2002 against South Africa. Whilst at Toulouse Clerc won the Heineken Cup three times in 2003, 2005 and 2010. In the 2003 final he scored Toulouse's try as they defeated Perpignan.

Clerc was left out of the French squad for the 2006 Autumn Internationals, but was called up as a replacement for Cédric Heymans for the match against Ireland during the 2007 Six Nations Championship. In a closely contested match at Croke Park, Clerc scored a last gasp try to snatch a 20–17 victory for France. Clerc was picked for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He scored 5 tries during the first two games of the 2008 Six Nations Championship against Scotland and Ireland. In a post match interview after the match against Ireland Clerc stated to the French TV channel France 2 that he "never would have been able to score a hat trick if Shane Horgan had been playing." Horgan and Clerc have had a long rivalry and, unfortunately for Ireland, Horgan was unfit to play. In the 2007 RBS 6 Nations tournament Vincent scored a last gasp try against Ireland. In the last game of that series of games Vincent Clerc helped France to trounce Scotland to give them the title. During the 2008 6 Nations, media attention focused on the final match of the tournament, where Clerc and Shane Williams would play as opposite numbers. Both had scored five tries so far in the tournament, but ultimately the match, dubbed as the "Big battle of the little people" was won by Wales, with Williams scoring one final try in the competition. Clerc ruptured the ligaments in his left knee while playing for Stade Toulousain against ASM Clermont Auvergne in April 2008. He made his club comeback in December 2008, against Mont de Marsan, and was recalled to the national squad for the summer 2009 tests. In 2010, he was selected in the French Barbarians squad to play Tonga on November 26.

Clerc was selected in the squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, and was one of the stars of the tournament. He played every game for France and posed a constant threat on the right wing. He scored six tries for the tournament, three of them against Canada, to finish the tournament as joint top try scorer with England's Chris Ashton. On November 17, 2012, against Argentina in Lille, Clerc scored two tries to take his overall international tally to 34 tries, overtaking Philippe Saint André to become France's second highest try scorer. France won 39–22. Clerc said after the match: We got off to a bad start, which is a bad habit of ours. However, we fought back and turned it round after 15 minutes. We could have scored a few more tries but we will take this. Will I ever play again after passing Philippe's mark? I hope so but I will have to talk to him!

Clerc is involved with the Toulouse based charity Maison des Parents, which works alongside parents and their children, who suffer from illnesses and are being treated in Toulouse.

# Date Venue Opponent Result (France ) Competition 1. 9 November 2002 Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France 30–10 Test Match 2. 23 November 2002 Stade de France, Saint Denis, France 35–3 Test Match 3. 23 November 2002 Stade de France, Saint Denis, France 35–3 Test Match 4. 29 March 2003 Stade de France, Saint Denis, France 33–5 Six Nations Championship 5. 14 February 2004 Stade de France, Saint Denis, France 35–17 Six Nations Championship 6. 19 November 2005 Stadium Municipal, Toulouse, France 35–17 Test Match 7. 19 November 2005 Stadium Municipal, Toulouse, France 35–17 Test Match 8. 24 June 2006 Newlands Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa 36–26 Test Match 9. 11 February 2007 Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland 20–17 Six Nations Championship 10. 16 September 2007 Stadium Municipal, Toulouse, France 87–10 2007 Rugby World Cup 11. 16 September 2007 Stadium Municipal, Toulouse, France 87–10 2007 Rugby World Cup 12. 16 September 2007 Stadium Municipal, Toulouse, France 87–10 2007 Rugby World Cup 13. 21 September 2007 Stade de France, Saint Denis, France 25–3 2007 Rugby World Cup 14. 21 September 2007 Stade de France, Saint Denis, France 25–3 2007 Rugby World Cup 15. 3 February 2008 Murrayfield, Edinburgh, Scotland 27–6 Six Nations Championship 16. 3 February 2008 Murrayfield, Edinburgh, Scotland 27–6 Six Nations Championship 17. 9 February 2008 Stade de France, Saint Denis, France 26–21 Six Nations Championship 18. 9 February 2008 Stade de France, Saint Denis, France 26–21 Six Nations Championship 19. 9 February 2008 Stade de France, Saint Denis, France 26–21 Six Nations Championship 20. 13 November 2009 Stadium Municipal, Toulouse, France 20–13 Test Match 21. 21 November 2009 Stade de France, Saint Denis, France 43–5 Test Match 22. 12 March 2011 Stadio Flaminio, Roma, Italy 21–22 Six Nations Championship 23. 19 March 2011 Stade de France, Saint Denis, France 28–9 Six Nations Championship 24. 13 August 2011 Stade Chaban Delmas, Bordeaux, France 19–12 Test Match 25. 10 September 2011 North Harbour Stadium, North Shore City, New Zealand 47–21 2011 Rugby World Cup 26. 18 September 2011 McLean Park, Napier, New Zealand 46–19 2011 Rugby World Cup 27. 18 September 2011 McLean Park, Napier, New Zealand 46–19 2011 Rugby World Cup 28. 18 September 2011 McLean Park, Napier, New Zealand 46–19 2011 Rugby World Cup 29. 1 October 2011 Westpac Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand 14–19 2011 Rugby World Cup 30. 6 October 2011 Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand 19–12 2011 Rugby World Cup 31. 4 February 2012 Stade de France, Saint Denis, France 30–12 Six Nations Championship 32. 20 November 2012 Grand Stade Lille Métropole, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France 39–22 Test Match 33. 20 November 2012 Grand Stade Lille Métropole, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France 39–22 Test Match