Playing with the Gascon Spirit - looking back on Philippe Struxiano

In his first piece for 2025 and to coincide with the first matchday of the Six Nations Rugby Tournament, volunteer Peter Bloor digs into the archives to look back on the French national team captain of 1920, Philippe Struxiano. 

Philippe led the French to a historic first Five Nations victory outside of France in Dublin against Ireland. In this piece, Peter profiles the spirited French leader.

“The Gascon spirit”

When the French national team won in Dublin in 1920 – its first Five Nations victory away from home - The Times correspondent noted that almost all of its players came from south-west France, and even the few that did not – such as its outstanding captain Philippe Struxiano - nevertheless still played with “the Gascon spirit.” 

Less than a year later Philippe would display a spirit far less acceptable to the French rugby authorities by refusing to play against England. He would not play in the Five Nations again, but had already contributed significantly - if briefly - to France’s transformation from a pre-war collection of players into a post-war team that had already come close to beating England at Twickenham two months before beating Ireland.

Philippe’s Five Nations debut

After Maurice Hedembaigt had played against Scotland and André Theuriet had proved an innocuous late replacement against England Philippe made his debut in February 1913 as France’s agile and adroit scrum-half in a very late and unexpectedly narrow defeat, 11-8, to Wales. He also played in the next match, another defeat, 24-0, against Ireland, when he was often outwitted by the opposing half-backs and unable to get the ball away from the scrum. He was though sound in the tackle and brave in defence against the Irish forwards, but this was not sufficient for him to keep his place in 1914 when the selectors preferred to recall Léon Larribeau (spellings differ) and Hedembaigt instead.

“France has now to be seriously reckoned with”

After playing three scrum-halves in four matches in 1913 and two in three in 1914 (when Scotland chose not to play France following crowd disorder in Paris the previous year), the French selectors were consistent in their choice when the Five Nations resumed in 1920 – Philippe, as captain. 

After losing 5-0 to Scotland, a match played in heavy rain and with a slippery ball that Philippe was still able to field, win and retain when it looked impossible to do so, France travelled to Twickenham – and gave England a terrible shock. They lost 8-3, but the difference between the sides lay only in their place-kicking, the England captain John Greenwood converting their try and skilfully judging a long penalty in windy conditions while Philippe missed both of his attempts. Otherwise he impressed, revelling in his work at the base of the scrum, almost always getting the ball away to his half-back partner Eugène Billac, the pair also demonstrating their mastery of the cross-kick. 

In the video above, Philippe Struxiano is the restless figure with the ball who appears after 38 seconds and after 1 minute 21.

“Exciting struggle at Dublin” 

Against Wales they lost by an even narrower margin 6-5, Philippe converting the try that was scored from a move he had begun with a pass to Billac, and then travelled to a wet Dublin where they won for the first time away from home, 15-7. 

Like his team Philippe was over-keen at the start but quickly regained control of himself and of his side, directing it with shouts, smiles and gestures, not only showing himself to be an excellent captain but also one of quite some personality. His own play was equally excellent, combining brilliant kicks to touch with smart passing and resolute defending, his contribution being such that at the end of the match he was carried off the field shoulder-high by his team-mates.

“Sensational decision of French captain”

Philippe was injured for the first two matches of the 1921 Five Nations against Scotland and Wales but, after being selected as captain for the England game he made the sensational announcement that he would not play, nor in any other match for which he was selected by the Committee. Despite his stated willingness to appear and explain himself his reasons remained unclear; there was a vague suggestion that he was protesting against certain clubs being favoured in team selection but it came to be more widely reported that he objected to captaining a team he had not seen play, the Selection Committee having refused him permission to travel to Edinburgh while injured to assess it. 

“It is useless. I will not play”

Despite rumours to the contrary and meetings with the President of the Rugby Union, the President of the Selection Committee - and reportedly with the Under-Secretary of State - Philippe stood by his refusal and, after the French Rugby Federation had passed a vote of censure against him, did not play in the Five Nations again.

Just twelve months after being chaired off in Dublin Philippe was gone, by his own actions, and was replaced by Roger Piteu of the Section Paloise club in Pau – the south-west France influence remained strong – who proved a more than capable replacement. Piteu’s name had been loudly cheered when it was announced before the match while Philippe’s, at least according to The Daily News, “stands sadly lowered through excessive vanity in the esteem of his countrymen” – a sad, if self-inflicted, end for the man who had done so much for French rugby in his four matches as captain and player. 

References

The quotes and other information in this article are taken from The Times, the Daily Express, the Daily News, the Manchester Guardian and Irish newspapers the Dublin Daily Express, the Irish Times and Sport 1912-1921, with player career details from https://www.equipe-france.fr/rugby/masculin/classement-des-joueurs

Images – all Agence Rol/Source gallica.bnf.fr/Bibliothèque nationale de France 

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