One of the best to have ever worn the No. 13 jersey, Philippe Sella possessed incredible strength mixed with lightning foot speed.
The Frenchman was part of an era where he and his countrymen dominated Northern Hemisphere rugby with France winning or sharing the Five Nations six times.
Unfortunately for Sella, the team couldn’t quite replicate the success at World Cup level. In 1987 Sella helped France to the final with a famous win over the Wallabies in the semis before losing to the dominant All Blacks 29-9.
Three years later on an explosive Test tour to Australia, Sella showed just how strong he was by knocking out Peter FitzSimons. He was sent off for his efforts. According to Peter Bills’ book Inside the Lost World of Sports Journalism no one could remember Sella raising his fist in anger before the incident.
Despite numerous sendoffs and scuffles between the teams there were no hard feelings between players who attended post-game banquets together.
“People who had been hurling punches and kicking the heads of opponents were to be seen engaged in quiet, philosophical conversation while sipping a beer or glass of chardonnay,” Bills said.
Sella played International rugby until the end of the amateur era – there were less games, yet he still notched 111 caps for France in 13-years and was the first to reach the 100 milestone.
His last International was a win over England to claim third place at the 1995 World Cup, exacting some revenge after the Poms had knocked France out of the tournament in the 1991 semi-final.
The Roar’s World Cup Countdown:
30. Grant Fox’s record 30 conversions from the 1987 World Cup
29. All Blacks claim the 1987 World Cup, 29-9
28. Tonga stun Italy with Sateki Tuipulotu’s boot, winning 28-25
27. 27 per cent of tries came from scrums in 2003 with Canada showing the value of the set piece
26. David Pocock made 26 tackles in a fantastic performance against South Africa in the 2011 quarter-finals
25. South Africa’s 25 wins from 29 matches at the World Cup
24. Wales scores 24 points in the first half against New Zealand but still lose in 2003
23. Nick Farr-Jones 23 wins as Australian captain including an historic 1991 World Cup win against England
22. The Wallabies notch a cricket score with 22 tries in a 142-0 thumping of Namibia in 2003
21. Georgia’s David Dadunashvili becomes the youngest (21) to start at hooker in a World Cup match
20. The first World Cup classic finishes 20-all between Scotland and France in 1987
19. 19-year-old George North becomes youngest World Cup try scorer in 2011
18. Since their first and only win Japan has gone 18-straight World Cup games without victory
17. New Zealand coaching staff present 17 alleged refereeing errors to explain 2007 loss
16. George Gregan and Jason Leonard involved in 16 wins each at World Cup level
15. Jonah Lomu’s 15 tries in 11 matches
14. Jonny Wilkinson’s 14 World Cup drop goals including his most famous one in England’s 20-17 win over the Wallabies
13. Philippe Sella’s fantastic career at No.13 with 13 starts for France at Rugby World Cups
12. The Wallabies record 12-game winning streak from 1999 to 2003
11. Fiji win 11 out of 11 lineouts against Wales during a stunning 38-34 win in 2007
10. David Campese’s 10 tries for the Wallabies at Rugby World Cups
9. Matt Burke’s 9 points per game average after an amazing 1999 tournament
8. Diego Ormaechea, at age 40, was the oldest number 8 to play at a World Cup
7. No.7 Michael Jones scores the first ever World Cup try
6. Marc Ellis’ record six tries in a match against Japan
5. Jannie de Beer’s five drop goals in a match against England in the 1999 quarter-finals
4. Michael Lynagh’s four tries in World Cup matches including his match-winner against Ireland
3. Cardiff has hosted World Cup matches for three tournaments and will make it a record four in 2015
2. Christophe Lamaison’s two drop goals in semi-final blinder
1. The Webb Ellis Cup.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
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