In the fifth of a series of increasingly-difficult-to-find-subjects-for articles celebrating the journeymen of French rugby, we look at a member of the union de première ligne who’s had more clubs than Jean Van de Velde. Crouch, touch, pause, engage... Franck Tournaire!

Born in Aude in 1972, Tournaire began his professional career with nearby Narbonne in 1995. He quickly gained a reputation as a mainstay of the Narbonne pack, and also as one of the most promising young tight-head props in France. Much of the two seasons he spent down at the Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié were happy, but on the eve of a crucial end-of-season match between Narbonne and Toulouse, Tournaire announced he had agreed to join les Toulousains the following season. Both the decision and the timing of it rankled amongst les Narbonnais, and he left with his queue entre ses jambes.

So it was that in August 1997 our man began a glittering five-year period with Toulouse. The men from Stade Ernest-Wallon dominated French rugby in the late nineties, winning the Bouclier du Brennus in 1999 and 2001. Tournaire soon established himself as an automatic first choice, forging a feared front row federation with Christian Califano. Along with the likes of Fabien Pelous, Christian Labit and Yannick Bru, this was the rock on which Toulouse’s successes were built. He seemed all set to be a part of the furniture for years to come, but all bonnes choses must come to une extrémité.

In August 2002, Tournaire inexplicably gave up the delights of Toulouse for Leicester, in the process becoming their first ever French signing. It was a surprising move, driven mainly by a healthy salary and the promise of Heineken Cup glory that strangely eluded him at Toulouse. It was even more surprising for staff and supporters of Bath, who Tournaire had suggested he was joining a month earlier. He was as solid as ever during his one and only season at Welford Road, although his European dream was shattered by a home quarter-final loss to Munster, in a game that was sponsored by the British Insomniac Society. In a cruel twist of fate, Toulouse went on to win the tournament. How the regulars of Toulouse market’s premier restaurant Le Boucher raised a glass to Franck’s stupidity.

One season in England was more than enough for our hero, and he returned to l’Ovalie to pen a deal with USAP in the summer of 2003. He never settled at the Stade Aimé-Giral, the combination of injuries and strong competition for places seeing Tournaire start only three Top 16 games. At the end of the season, USAP agreed to cancel his contract and encouraged him to look for another club.

The roue would turn plein cercle in July 2004, as Tournaire returned to Narbonne. His fourth club in three years, Mrs Tournaire and les petit Tournaires were getting sick of the constant upheaval and told their man to stay put. This he certainly did. The 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons saw him play in 49 of the 56 league games, scoring six tries. He also played an integral part in preserving Narbonne’s treasured top-flight status.

However, things would go boites up during the 2006-07 season. A dispute between club management and senior players such as Tournaire and Christian Labit saw both players dismissed mid-season. In an ironic twist of fate, Narbonne would be relegated to Pro D2 for the first time in their history, and this during their centenary season.

In the same way most children have once pinched sweets from Woolworths, most French rugby players have a stint playing in Paris. Pro D2’s big spenders Racing-Metro 92 tempted Tournaire with a lucrative one-year deal at the onset of the 2007-08 campaign. He joined a Dad’s Army of a squad that included veteran internationals Agustin Pichot, David Auradou, Thomas Lombard, Sereli Bobo, Andrea Lo Cicero and Simon Raiwalui. Although he started only 10 matches, he played in 21 of the 30 league games and helped his new club reach the end of season play-offs.

Despite high hopes of a glorious last season in the soleil, our hero’s dreams of a return to the Top 14 were dashed by a surprise loss to unfancied Stade Montois in the final. In August of this year he penned a deal with Fédérale 1 outfit Carcassonn, where his old friend Christian Labit is coach, and where propping pal Califano is rumoured to be arriving soon.

Tournaire made his international debut against Italy in 1995 and soon became a permanent fixture with les Bleus, alongside partner-in-crime Califano. He was a key part of the 1997 and 1998 Grand Slam triumphs, along with France’s breathtaking performance in the 1999 Rugby World Cup. Indeed, this tough uncompromising prop was one of only a handful of players to have played every minute of every game of the 1999 RWC. His appearance off the bench against Australia in November 2000 brought to and end his illustrious time on the international stage, one that yielded 49 caps and two tries.

Only time will tell whether the move to Carcassone’s Stade Albert-Domec will be his last. One thing is for sure though. Franck Tournaire is one of the finest props to have graced the rugby fields of the northern hemisphere in recent years. No doubt the regulars at Narbonne, Toulouse, Leicester, USAP, Racing-Metro and Carcassonne would wholeheartedly join Le Rugby in a vociferous call of allez Franck Tournaire!