Chic_Raul_ista

/monthly_06_2009/post-6862-0-1446016318-92681_thumb.jpg" data-fileid="2672532" alt="post-6862-0-1446016318-92681_thumb.jpg" data-ratio="91.25">

/monthly_06_2009/post-6862-0-1446016313-26819_thumb.jpg" data-fileid="2672474" alt="post-6862-0-1446016313-26819_thumb.jpg" data-ratio="106.67">

Miami

Wallabies training, Sydney /monthly_06_2009/post-6862-0-1446026424-48613_thumb.jpg" data-fileid="2952543" alt="post-6862-0-1446026424-48613_thumb.jpg" data-ratio="149.53">

Trinh-Duc the face of French new wave The gifted No.10 is one of several Frenchmen writing chapters of amazing stories that began outside their homeland, writes Rupert Guinness. Francois Trinh-Duc is fast becoming the darling of French rugby - the star playmaker to take them to the 2011 World Cup. But as he continues to etch his own story in the annals of French rugby, there is another chapter to his story that he knows will probably never be fully told. It is the story of his paternal grandfather, Trinh-Duc Nienh, who was born and lived in Vietnam until he moved to France to escape the horrors of the French-Indochina War from 1946-1954. Nienh left his troubled homeland to start a new life near Agen in the Lot-et-Garonne region in south-west France. Having arrived in France, Trinh-Duc's grandfather would have had no inkling that in two generations his grandson would be a member of a French rugby team that is fast becoming one of the major contenders to win the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand. If fact, few - if anyone - would have foreseen at the time that anyone of Vietnamese extraction would have gone on to become a professional rugby star. Trinh-Duc, 22, and with 12 Test caps, is one of the first players of Vietnamese origin to play for France. But the No.10 is not the first player from one of the former French colonies. In this French touring party alone, captain and back-rower Thierry Dusautoir was born in the Ivory Coast, while Trinh-Duc's childhood friend of 18 years, breakaway Fulgence Ouedraogo, was born in Burkina Faso and departed centre Mathieu Bastareaud hails from Guadeloupe. Trinh-Duc, whose father, Philippe, is half-Vietnamese and half-Italian, never met his grandfather while he was growing up in the department of Herault in southern France before moving to Montpellier, where he began to play rugby at age four and for whom he competes in the French Top 14 competition. "I never knew him, so I don't know his story so well. He was Vietnamese and to escape the Indochina War he came to live in France. Voila," Trinh-Duc said yesterday, the morning after the French team arrived in Sydney to play Australia at ANZ Stadium on Saturday. "He came to France without talking about his story. He wanted to forget the past. He wanted only to start something new when he came to France." Trinh-Duc, who played in both of Les Bleus' Tests against the All Blacks and scored a try in their win in Dunedin two weeks ago, has never even been to Vietnam. "I have an uncle who visited there to help build a creche, things to help the country. Me, I have never gone there," he said. But don't assume that Trinh-Duc is in denial about his heritage. "My name is Vietnamese. My origins are Vietnamese. I am proud to be Vietnamese," he said. The five-eighth, who is expected to be named in the French team to be announced tomorrow, is relishing the chance to play Australia in his second visit here and didn't mind weighing into the debate about which team would be better prepared for the Test. "Two games against the All Blacks at their home is very hard," he said. "You always learn a lot. But we also have to keep working on our game … and against Australia I think it will be a good Test because I think sporting-wise they are better prepared [to play France] than the New Zealanders. "Sure, we are better prepared for the physical combat because of two huge matches which were difficult and intense. Australia played two more easier matches against Italy … but I still think it will still be a good match." Unsurprisingly, Trinh-Duc is keen to test himself against Wallabies No.10 Matt Giteau. "He is a very good player … He knows very well how to play with the hand and with the foot," Trinh-Duc said. "He is one of the best No.10s in the world … one of the best. He knows how to direct the forwards and the centres. But I don't only play against him. It is against any weakness of the team that I will be attempting to take my chances." "I have an uncle who visited there to help build a creche, things to help the country. Me, I have never gone there," he said. But don't assume that Trinh-Duc is in denial about his heritage. "My name is Vietnamese. My origins are Vietnamese. I am proud to be Vietnamese," he said. The five-eighth, who is expected to be named in the French team to be announced tomorrow, is relishing the chance to play Australia in his second visit here and didn't mind weighing into the debate about which team would be better prepared for the Test. "Two games against the All Blacks at their home is very hard," he said. "You always learn a lot. But we also have to keep working on our game … and against Australia I think it will be a good Test because I think sporting-wise they are better prepared [to play France] than the New Zealanders. "Sure, we are better prepared for the physical combat because of two huge matches which were difficult and intense. Australia played two more easier matches against Italy … but I still think it will still be a good match." Unsurprisingly, Trinh-Duc is keen to test himself against Wallabies No.10 Matt Giteau. "He is a very good player … He knows very well how to play with the hand and with the foot," Trinh-Duc said. "He is one of the best No.10s in the world … one of the best. He knows how to direct the forwards and the centres. But I don't only play against him. It is against any weakness of the team that I will be attempting to take my chances."

All Blacks recovery session, Christchurch /monthly_06_2009/post-6862-0-1446026415-27783_thumb.jpg" data-fileid="2952118" alt="post-6862-0-1446026415-27783_thumb.jpg" data-ratio="136.55"> /monthly_06_2009/post-6862-0-1446026415-65543_thumb.jpg" data-fileid="2952148" alt="post-6862-0-1446026415-65543_thumb.jpg" data-ratio="56.4">

Press interviews

XV France, Sydney /monthly_06_2009/post-6862-0-1446026404-81846_thumb.jpg" data-fileid="2951962" alt="post-6862-0-1446026404-81846_thumb.jpg" data-ratio="62.66"> /monthly_06_2009/post-6862-0-1446026404-87972_thumb.jpg" data-fileid="2951972" alt="post-6862-0-1446026404-87972_thumb.jpg" data-ratio="62.97">

Percy & Bryan watching Brazil v Italy during Confederations Cup, Pretoria

Mathieu Bastareaud leaving to return to Paris Mathieu was assaulted by a group of thugs after the 2nd test match against AB in Wellington, he was left with four stitches, bruises, a swollen face and of course in a state of shock. I'm too sickened to find out whether they stole anything from him but what a disgrace. Anyways like Emile N'tamck said you get some stupid rugby people (fans); his being nice I call them criminals . Chin up Mathieu and get better asap.

/monthly_06_2009/post-6862-0-1446026397-41737_thumb.jpg" data-fileid="2951688" alt="post-6862-0-1446026397-41737_thumb.jpg" data-ratio="65.66">

/monthly_06_2009/post-6862-0-1446026393-96604_thumb.jpg" data-fileid="2951540" alt="post-6862-0-1446026393-96604_thumb.jpg" data-ratio="152.31">/monthly_06_2009/post-6862-0-1446026394-46617_thumb.jpg" data-fileid="2951553" alt="post-6862-0-1446026394-46617_thumb.jpg" data-ratio="65.66">

Churchill Cup Championship - England Saxons v Ireland A, Colorado /monthly_06_2009/post-6862-0-1446026392-28775_thumb.jpg" data-fileid="2951481" alt="post-6862-0-1446026392-28775_thumb.jpg" data-ratio="65.66">

thanks sandy

Raul & Mamen @ the society wedding of Florentino Perez's daugther-in-law yesterday, Island of A Toxa/La Toja (looking for more pics)

France gym session, Wellington Arriving & press conference, Sydney /monthly_06_2009/post-6862-0-1446026382-49645_thumb.jpg" data-fileid="2951203" alt="post-6862-0-1446026382-49645_thumb.jpg" data-ratio="62.81">/monthly_06_2009/post-6862-0-1446026382-50497_thumb.jpg" data-fileid="2951204" alt="post-6862-0-1446026382-50497_thumb.jpg" data-ratio="83.92">

/monthly_06_2009/post-6862-0-1446026376-98168_thumb.jpg" data-fileid="2951000" alt="post-6862-0-1446026376-98168_thumb.jpg" data-ratio="124.75"> /monthly_06_2009/post-6862-0-1446026377-00318_thumb.jpg" data-fileid="2951003" alt="post-6862-0-1446026377-00318_thumb.jpg" data-ratio="71.48">