François Trinh-Duc

François Trinh-Duc

Full name	François Trinh-Duc
Date of birth	11 November 1986
Place of birth	Montpellier, France
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	85 kilograms (13 st 5 lb)
Rugby union career
Current status
Position(s)	Fly-half, Centre
Current team	Montpellier
Playing career
Position	Fly-half, Centre
Amateur clubs
Years	Club / team
	Pic-Saint-Loup
Professional / senior clubs
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2004–	Montpellier	200	(606)
correct as of 5 March 2016.
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2008-	France	53	(75)
correct as of 19 March 2016.

François Trinh-Duc (born 11 November 1986) is a French rugby union player for Montpellier Hérault RC in France's top division of rugby union, the Top 14. Trinh-Duc's regular position is at fly-half or inside centre.

Biography

Trinh-Duc was born in Montpellier.

He started playing rugby at the age of 4 at the Pic-Saint-Loup rugby school near his native city.^[1] There, he played with his future Montpellier team-mate Fulgence Ouedraogo. They both entered the club's youth teams at "Cadet" level (U-13/14) and are said to be inseparable friends.

With fellow Montpelliérains Louis Picamoles and Julien Tomas, he is part of a quartet of home-grown talents embodying the success of the Montpellier Hérault Rugby Club's attempt at "shaking up the old order" of French rugby in the Septimanie terroir which had always been historical rival Béziers's stronghold.^[2]

He was called up by Marc Lièvremont to the France squad for the 2008 Six Nations Championship,^[3] and has played in all of France's matches in the competition to date.

Trinh-Duc's drop goal helped France beat England 19–12 at Eden Park^[4] in quarter final in 2011 Rugby World Cup. He came on as a substitute for the injured Morgan Parra in the 23rd minute of the final against New Zealand. He set in motion the move that led to Thierry Dusautoir's try in the 47th minute and converted the try to make the score 8–7. With 15 minutes remaining and the score still at 8–7, France were awarded a penalty to put them in front for the first time, but Trinh-Duc's 48m penalty attempt was wide off the mark and the All Blacks went on to win the final.^[5]

Personal life

Trinh-Duc was noted as one of the first ever rugby players of Vietnamese origin to play for the French national side.^[6][7] His paternal grandfather, Trịnh Đức Nhiên, was born in French Indochina,^[8] migrated to France during the First Indochina War, and settled near Agen in Lot-et-Garonne. Nhien later married an Italian woman; Trinh-Duc's father, Philippe, being the product of this union.^{[9][fn 1]}

International tries

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Result (France-...)	Competition
1.	5 July 2008	Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Australia	Australia	10–40	Test Match
2.	21 March 2009	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	Italy	50–8	Six Nations Championship
3.	13 June 2009	Carisbrook, Dunedin, New Zealand	New Zealand	27–22	Test Match
4.	21 November 2009	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	Samoa	43–5	Test Match
5.	21 November 2009	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	Samoa	43–5	Test Match
6.	26 February 2010	Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales	Wales	26–20	Six Nations Championship
7.	20 August 2011	Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland	Ireland	26–22	Test Match
8.	10 September 2011	North Harbour Stadium, North Shore City, New Zealand	Japan	47–21	2011 Rugby World Cup
9.	24 September 2011	Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand	New Zealand	17–37	2011 Rugby World Cup

Footnotes

1. Photograph of Trinh Duc Nhien, from travailleurs-indochinois.org (see list for "Trinh Duc Nhien": la liste du memorial

References

1. "Old friends, new blood". Scotland on Sunday. 2 March 2008.
2. Cain, Nick (17 February 2008). "Montpellier shaking up the old order". London: Times Online. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
3. "Marty replaces Fritz for France". BBC Sport. 30 January 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2008.
4. "France shock England to advance to semi-finals". smh.com.au. 2011-10-08. Retrieved 2011-10-08.
5. "All Blacks survive scare to clinch Cup". rugby World Cup official web site. 2011-10-23. Retrieved 2011-10-23.
6. "Trinh-Duc brings Asian spice to French league (AFP)". Expatica.com. 15 January 2008. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
7. "Trinh-Duc brings Asian spice to French league". Thanh Nien Daily. 16 January 2008. Archived from the original on 20 February 2008. Retrieved 1 February 2008.
8. "Mixed blessings for first-five". The Dominion Post. 19 June 2009. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
9. Trinh-Duc the face of French new wave, Brisbane Times, 23 June 2009

External links

• FFR profile (French)
• Montpellier Hérault RC profile (French)