Clerc backs Dominici decision to end international career
France winger Vincent Clerc is backing Christophe Dominici to end his rugby career on a high after hearing of his compatriot’s decision to quit the international stage.
Dominici announced this weekend that he was ending his Les Bleus career with immediate effect.
After making his debut in 1998, the Stade Francais star made 65 appearances for France, scoring 25 tries in the process.
Clerc, who has battled with Dominici for a starting spot on the wing for Les Bleus over the past few years, reckons the 35-year-old will go down as one of his country’s greats and believes there is more to come from the player at club level.
“He has had a great career,” said Clerc. “But he perhaps wants to concentrate on his club form from now on.
“It is a great international player who is going into retirement.
“But he still has a lot of great things to achieve and he is going to set himself new objectives.”
Dominici played in four Six Nations-winning teams and was a key member of the France team that reached the World Cup final in 1999, only to lose to Australia.
He has been the most experienced member of Les Bleus’ backline for the past few years and Clerc is going to miss having the veteran around.
“It is strange because he has been on the international scene for so long,” said the Toulouse flyer.
“A lot of people, including me, discovered him during the 1999 World Cup. Since then, he has become a team-mate, a rival and a friend.
“When you spend periods of seven weeks then four months together, you really create a strong bond.”
Dominici has a year and a half left on his contract at Stade, but some are claiming he might follow former France team-mate Fabien Pelous’ lead and quit rugby for good at the end of the season.
Stade are yet to win the European Cup, and that will be high up on Dominici’s agenda in the remainder of his career.
“It (playing for France) has been a big part of my life,” he said.
“But I am still hungry, I still have that desire.”
