Sergio Parisse’s long farewell has taken centre stage recently but let’s hear it also for Mathieu Bastareaud who also took his farewell at the Stade Mayol last weekend.

Basta was the troubled young giant of French rugby 14 years ago when he concocted a lie about being attacked by a group of five youths in Auckland which he used to explain the damage he had drunkenly caused to the France team hotel.

That lie was exposed, he was labelled a disgrace, started drinking heavily on his return and in his autobiography recalled a suicide attempt, slitting his wrists.

Yet from that low point he r...