The Landes player, who died on Monday, won the Five Nations Tournament four times during his international career with the French XV, with whom he made 48 caps between 1954 and 1966.
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Symbol of “French Flair” and legend of French rugby, André Boniface is no more. The former three-quarter center of Stade Montois and the XV of France died on Monday April 8, at the age of 89, at Bayonne hospital, AFP learned from his family. Genius player and long associated with his brother GuyAndré Boniface won four Five Nations Tournaments with the Blues (1954, 1955, 1959 and 1962).
Inseparable, André and Guy Boniface were “twins in the city” And “Siamese on the ground”wrote their accomplice, the writer Antoine Blondin, until Guy’s fatal road accident in the early hours of 1968, an unfortunate January 1st on a road in the Landes. “The only scar in my life”he sighed in 2016, in the columns of The Team. The two brothers embodied a certain idea of the beautiful game. “What we were looking for was line playdeciphered André in The world in 1999. Before getting to this point, a huge amount of work was required. Style came only from work, not from chance. The pass, for example, was a daily concern, like the pianist’s scales.”
A bitter end to his career with the XV of France
After his debut at US Dax, the Landais played for 20 years with Stade Monois, between 1952 and 1972. With his long-time club, he also won a French championship title in 1963, as well as three Yves Challenges -of-the-Manor. With the XV of France, its history will experience an unfortunate epilogue in 1966, after a 9-8 defeat against Wales in the Five Nations Tournament which deprived the Blues of the title that year. A bell pass from Jean Gachassin, intended for André Boniface, was intercepted by Welshman Stuart Watkins who then raced to the goal. Enough to knock out the Tricolores, several of whom have never set foot in the French team again.
“Sacking three players after an intercepted pass is unique. In fact, it had nothing to do with the pass”deplored, bitterly, André Boniface in The Team in 2016. “The selectors were fed up with us. They no longer supported us. My appearance, my personality bothered them a lot. My outspokenness too.” He was sometimes nicknamed “Dédé, the try creator” and was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2005.