Alain Penaud

Alain Penaud (born 19 July 1969) is a French former rugby union player who held the position of fly-half.

He was known for his vision of the game, his audacity and his ball carrying and played mainly for Brive, where he scored 449 points within 334 games all in all and won the Heineken Cup in 1997. Penaud is widely acknowledged as one of the best Brive players of all time. He later won French Rugby Union Championship (named at that time Élite 1) with Toulouse in 2001.

He was selected 32 times for the French national team and won the 1997 Five Nations Championship clinching a Grand Slam. His international career was restricted due to his strong personality and the tactical choices of many coaches. He has indeed never been selected for a World Cup, even though his career has covered five tournaments.

His son is French rugby union international Damian Penaud.

Biography Alain Penaud was born on 19 July 1969 in Juillac, Corrèze. He started rugby for his hometown club US Juillac-Objat, near Brive-la-Gaillarde, at the age of 13 and then moved to Brive three years later. He began to be a regular starter for Brive first-team in the late 1980s and the early 1990s. Alongside Sébastien Carrat, Christophe Lamaison, David Venditti and Sebastien Viars, he formed a formidable back line. He reached the 1995–96 French Rugby Union Championship (named at that time Groupe A) final but lost against Toulouse, and is remembered for captaining the team in winning the Heineken Cup in 1997 against Leicester Tigers and featured in the final the following year against Bath. His first start for France came against Wales in 1992. Penaud has been in and out of the side for France, though still appeared in the 1997 Grand Slam win, including a last-minute victory against England at Twickenham.

He moved to Saracens for the 1998–99 Allied Dunbar Premiership season to replace Michael Lynagh, and scored a try on his debut against Northampton Saints. He scored 66 points within 24 games for Sarries. Despite a three-year contract, he spent only one season across the channel (finishing 3rd in the league), preferring, for family reasons to return to France at Toulouse, where he won 2000–01 Élite 1. Producing two excellent seasons, Penaud was recalled to the France squad for the 2000 Six Nations. and signed for Lyon as player-coach. Despite his age, he surprised many by becoming one of the best players in the league. He then moved to Stade Français in 2005, lasting only one season.

In 2006–07, he returned to honour his contract as player-coach with Lyon in Pro D2.

He currently works as chief commercial officer of Andros.

Honours Brive Heineken Cup: 1996–97 Heineken Cup runner-up: 1997–98 Groupe A runner-up: 1995–96 Challenge Yves du Manoir: 1996

Toulouse Élite 1: 2000–01

France Five Nations Championship: 1997 (Grand Slam) Five Nations Championship/Six Nations Championship runner-up: 1992, 2000

Statistics Club statistics

International statistics National teamCapsTriesDrop goalsTotal France3210562

International tries Try Opposing team Location Venue Competition Date Result Score 1 Paris, France Parc des Princes 1992 Five Nations Championship Loss 13 – 31 2 Paris, France Parc des Princes 1992 Five Nations Championship Win 44 – 12 3 4 Lyon, France Stade de Gerland 1992 South Africa rugby union tour of France and England Loss 15 – 20 5 6 Paris, France Parc des Princes 1992 South Africa rugby union tour of France and England Win 29 – 16 7 Aurillac, France Stade Jean Alric Test match Win 64 – 12 8 Bucharest, Romania Stadionul Dinamo Test match Win 51 – 20 9 Saint-Denis, France Stade de France 2000 Six Nations Championship Win 42 – 31 10