He became a legend during his lifetime. Dubbed by the Anglo-Saxons. To describe their offensive credo, a mixture of audacity and creativity, they invented an expression: “French flair”.
“In the 1960s, gaming was dying. The French attackers saved him
,” praised Bill McLaren, legendary BBC commentator for half a century, much later. Bust always high, gaze straight, André Boniface embodied, on the pitch, distinguished elegance. A certain idea of romanticism too. Which he never gives up. Even if it means suffering from it.
“Rugby seems to be a brutal, confrontational game. But above all, my brother and I had a taste for aesthetics. My favorite phrase was to say that “aesthetics do not compromise efficiency”. It allowed me to shut up all those who kept saying: “Yes, they are elegant but they don't win…” We always thought to victory but not by any means...
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