Jérôme Thion

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Jerome Thion (born 2 December 1977 in Senlis, France) is a French rugby union footballer, currently playing for Biarritz in the Top 14 club competition in France. His usual position is at lock. Thion has played for France, including representing them at the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia as well as captaining them in three tests in late 2005. He was also a part of the 2006 Six Nations Championship winning side.

Thion's first club was AS Montferrand, where he stayed until 2001, then signing with the USA Perpignan, where he stayed for two seasons, before moving to Biarritz Olympique, his current club.

Thion made his international debut for France in 2003, leading up to the Rugby World Cup later that year. He debuted as a starter on June 14 in the first of two matches against Argentina. Argentina won the match 10 points to six at Velez Sarsfield in Buenos Aires. He was in the starting line-up of the subsequent test against the Pumas a week later, which was again won by Argentina, although only by one point, with the final score being 33 to 32 to the Pumas.

Thion was also a starter in the 31 to 23 loss to the All Blacks at Jade Stadium in Christchurch on June 28, as well as the 56 to eight win over Romania on August 22. Thion started for France in their last test before the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia. The game was played against England in Marseille, and was won by France by just one point, with the final score being 17 to 16.

Thion was selected in France's 2003 World Cup squad and played in the pool games against Fiji and Scotland and was an unused bench replacement in the match against the United States. Thion was back in the starting lineup for the quarter-final against Ireland, which France won 43 points to 21. France lost the subsequent semi-final against eventual champions England.

Thion did not play in the 2004 Six Nations Championship the following year, but earned international caps for France playing in the November tests against Australia, the All Blacks and Argentina. Thion played in every match during the 2005 Six Nations Championship, as well as a test against Australia in November. After the Australian test, Thion captained France against against Canada, which France won 50 to six. Thion captained France on two more occasions that year, the 43 to eight win over Tonga and the 26 to 20 win over the Springboks.

In 2006, he played every match for France during the 2006 Six Nations Championship, which was won by France in the end. Biarritz made it to the 2005-06 Heineken Cup final, but were defeated by Munster. However, they went on to make it to the 2005-06 Top 14 final as well, were they beat Stade Toulousain to become the champions of France.

[edit] External links

• Jerome Thion on lequipe.fr
• Jerome Thion on rwc2003.com
• Jerome Thion on scrum.com
• Jerome Thion on ercrugby.com