The back-row has a strong relationship with Antoine Dupont, Kit Shepard reports
Who is Anthony Jelonch: Ten things you should know about the France back-row
Anthony Jelonch is an adaptable figure at the rear of the France and Toulouse packs.
The back-row uses tough tackling to make his presence felt.
Ten things you should know about Anthony Jelonch
1. Anthony Jelonch was born on 28 July 1996 in Vic-Fezensac in south-west France. He stands at 6ft 4in and is 16st 7lb (105kg).
2. He played youth rugby for local club Union Athletique Vicoise before joining FC Auch in 2012.
Jelonch played with Antoine Dupont at Auch, and the pair have had a strong relationship since.
3. Jelonch moved to Castres in 2014 after Auch were relegated from the ProD2.
4. He made his senior rugby debut for Castres in 2016 and played 25 matches in his debut season. The following year, the 2017-18 campaign, he won the Top 14 with the club.
5. After being named in the squad but not playing on France’s 2017 summer tour to South Africa, Jelonch made his les Bleus debut the following November against New Zealand.
6. Jelonch’s second and third France caps came over three years apart.
7. He ended a seven-year stay with Castres after the 2020-21 season by moving to French and European champions Toulouse, where he reunited with Dupont.
8. Jelonch captained France on their 2021 summer tour of Australia in the absence of regular skipper Charles Ollivon as well as experienced players like Julien Marchand and Dupont.
Though they lost the series 2-1, an under-strength travelling side were more than a match for the Wallabies, with every game being decided by three points or fewer.
9. He made a game-high 17 tackles in France’s famous 40-25 victory over New Zealand in November 2021.
10. He scored his first Test try against Italy in the 2022 Six Nations. After France disrupted an Azzurri lineout, Jelonch displayed advanced reading of the game to intercept Stephen Varney’s pass and run in, delighting the Stade de France crowd.
"OOOO It's intercepted"
Jelonch reads the pass and touches down for France's first of the game!#FRAvITA #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/6spkPP72oW
— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 6, 2022
Download the digital edition of Rugby World straight to your tablet or subscribe to the print edition to get the magazine delivered to your door.
Follow Rugby World on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.