14 - RUGBY - FRENCH NATIONAL TEAM

RUGBY - FRENCH NATIONAL TEAM A very rare 1911 French national team jersey worn by Antoine Francquenelle during the match against Scotland on January 2, 1911. This match is historic because it marked the French national team’s first victory in the Five Nations Tournament, with a score of 15–16. The rooster is missing above the rings; only the legs remain. A small insert—the contents of which are provided below—offers more context about this match: It was freezing cold that day. As for the match itself, there’s nothing particularly noteworthy about it. The pre-match events, however, were anything but ordinary. First, 5,000 shivering spectators, who had paid 20 sous each for admission, stormed the 3-franc grandstand, where braziers had been set up. In the French locker room, panic ensued. Center Vareilles was nowhere to be found. Coming from Romans, at the Melun train station where his train was scheduled to stop for half an hour, he had the bad idea of going to grab a snack at the station snack bar. But, to make up for a delay, the train departed sooner than expected, leaving Vareilles on the platform. No Vareilles for this first match of the 1911 Tournament against Scotland. No Francquenelle—the substitute—either, when it came time to suit up. Muhr, the head coach, set out to find a three-quarter center capable of holding his own in an international match. Kickoff is scheduled in half an hour. In the crowd, he spots Duval and Dedet. He asks them to play against the Scots. But during these festive days (it’s January 2), they’ve been feasting and declare themselves unfit for duty. Muhr is at a loss when Laffitte, from Bordeaux—dressed as a sergeant in the 103rd Infantry Regiment—is brought to him; Laffitte had been sitting in the stands. Mobilized on the spot, Laffitte was sent in a hurry to the French team’s locker room. He had just begun to untie his boots and remove his calf wraps when, just before kickoff, Francquenelle—the official substitute who had missed his train at Saint-Lazare—arrived. Laffitte was dismissed on the spot, and Francquenelle hurriedly put on his first international jersey. Certificate of Authenticity (COA) available upon request.