Jean-Baptiste Elissalde kicked a penalty to help the
Barbarians beat Ireland 29-23 in Limerick on Friday in his
final game before retiring.
The
32-year-old will now put his energies and talents into his
new role as Stade Toulousain's backs coach, having succeeded
Philippe Rouge-Thomas.
Elissalde won three Heineken Cups during his playing career
with Stade Toulousain, scoring 1,929 points in 239 matches
for Europe's most successful club team.
He also
made 35 appearances for France and was cherished for his
versatility in being able to play at either scrum-half or
fly-half.
He began
his club career at La Rochelle, where he was coached by his
ex-international father Jean-Pierre, and says that
experience - together with life under his Toulousain mentor
Guy Noves - has now prepared him for the next stage of his
career.
"To have
my father as a coach and then Guy Noves has really moulded
me into the character I have become," he told L'Equipe.
"I always replied to them 'yes', never 'yes but'. I always
knew to wait till it became an open discussion and then I
could deliver my opinion," he added.
Elissalde said his decision to retire had been thoroughly
thought through and that he was now relishing his new role
as a coach. He did, however, admit that the transition from
player to coach could strain relationships with former
team-mates.
"It does
concern me that I will have to put up some barriers between
me and my friends and I know for certain some of them will
find that difficult to get used to," he said.
Elissalde ensured he finished his playing
career in winning style with his second-half penalty against
Ireland, after coming on as a replacement for Clermont
Auvergne's Brock James. His parting shot put the
invitational side 29-13 ahead, and they withstood a late
Irish rally to end up 29-23 victors.
There
was also a try from his erstwhile Stade Toulousain team-mate
Cédric Heymans, while the Barbarians' other points came from
tries for Cardiff's Xavier Rush and Toulon-bound flanker
George Smith. James added a conversion and three penalties
before Elissalde's final flourish.
Niall
Ronan and Tony Buckley both went over for an under-strength
Irish side, with Ronan O'Gara kicking both conversions and a
brace of penalties.
The
Barbarians included Ireland's Malcolm O'Kelly on his
farewell appearance, while France-based players that also
featured included Pierre Mignoni, Byron Kelleher, Census
Johnston, Jérôme Thion, Fabrice Estebanez and Benoit August.
