Jean-Claude Skrela Explained

Jean-Claude Skrela
Birth Place:	Colomiers, France
Weight:	199lb
Ru Position:	Flanker
Repteam1:	France
Repyears1:	1971–1978
Repcaps1:	46
Reppoints1:	24
Amatyears1:	1968–1970
Amatyears2:	1970–1983
Amatteam1:	FC Auch Gers
Amatteam2:	Stade Toulousain
Coachteams1:	Stade Toulousain
Coachteams2:	US Colomiers
Coachyears1:	1983–1992
Coachyears2:	1994–1995
Coachyears3:	1995–1999
Ru Coachupdate:	2019-03-27
Relatives:	David Skrela (son) Gaëlle Skrela (daughter)
Birth Date:	1949 10, df=y

Jean-Claude Skrela (born 1 October 1949 in Colomiers, Haute-Garonne) is a former coach of the French national rugby union team. His son, David Skrela, is a French rugby union player and his daughter, Gaëlle Skrela, is a professional basketball player.

Early life

Skrela was born in Colomiers near Toulouse in France. His parents were Polish refugees (his father came from the village Kobiela, his mother from the village Charbinowice). He lost his father when he was 12.

Playing career

He played for FC Auch and Stade Toulousain and made his debut for in 1971 against . He won forty-six caps and won the Five Nations Championship in 1973 (tie victory) and in 1977 (Grand Slam). He also scored the first four-point try in a major Test match on 20 November 1971, when he charged down a kick from Australian fullback Arthur McGill.^[1]

Coaching

In 1983, he joined his team-mate Pierre Villepreux as coach of Stade Toulousain. They won three times the home championship, twice against Toulon (in 1985 and in 1989) and against Agen in 1986.

He was appointed director of rugby at Colomiers in 1994 but left his position to replace Pierre Berbizier as French head coach after the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

He became the first European head coach to win on his first attempt against, but he failed to win against and like his predecessor Pierre Berbizier. France suffered a few defeats against lowest level teams, like in 1999 or like in 1997 (Italy was making a lot of progress at this stage), but was also able to make great come backs, like against in 1997 or against in their World Cup semi final at Twickenham.^[2] ^[3] He also made a back-to-back Grand Slam in 1997 and 1998. He suffered a lack of results in 1999 before the World Cup.^[4]

After Jacques Fouroux, he became the second head coach to lead France to the World Cup Final, but lost to Australia. He resigned as French head coach on 16 November 1999.^[5] ^[6]

International matches as Head coach

Matches (1995–1999)
Matches	Date	Opposition	Venue	Score (Fra.–Opponent)	Competition	Captain
1995
1	14 October			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	34–22		Philippe Saint-André
2	17 October			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	52–8
3	21 October			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	47–20
4	11 November			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	22–15
5	18 November		Parc des Princes, Paris	align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	12–37
1996
6	20 January		Parc des Princes, Paris	align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	15–12		Philippe Saint-André
7	3 February			align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	14–19
8	17 February		Parc des Princes, Paris	align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	45–10
9	16 March			align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	15–16
10	20 April			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	64–12	Test match
11	22 June			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	34–27	1996 tour
12	29 June			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	34–15	1996 tour
13	25 September			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	40–33	Test match
14	30 November			align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	12–22		Abdelatif Benazzi
15	7 December		Parc des Princes, Paris	align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	12–13		Abdelatif Benazzi
1997
16	18 January			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	32–15		Abdelatif Benazzi
17	15 February		Parc des Princes, Paris	align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	27–22
18	1 March		Twickenham, London	align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	23–20
19	15 March		Parc des Princes, Paris	align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	47–20
20	22 March			align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	32–40		Fabien Pelous
21	1 June			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	51–20		Abdelatif Benazzi
22	21 June		Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney	align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	15–29
23	28 June			align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	19–26
24	18 October			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	30–19		Philippe Saint-André
25	22 October			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	39–3
26	26 October			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	32–27
27	15 November			align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	32–36	Autumn internationals
28	22 November		Parc des Princes, Paris	align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	10–52	Autumn internationals
1998
29	7 February			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	24–17		Raphaël Ibañez
30	21 February			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	51–16
31	7 March			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	18–16
32	5 April		Wembley Stadium, London	align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	51–0
33	13 June			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	35–18	1998 tour
34	20 June			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	37–12
35	27 June			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	34–9
36	14 November			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	34–14	Autumn internationals
37	21 November			align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	21–32	Autumn internationals
1999
38	6 February			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	10–9		Raphaël Ibañez
39	6 March			align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	33–34
40	20 March		Twickenham, London	align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	10–21
41	10 April			align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	22–36
42	3 June			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	62–8	Test match
43	12 June			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	39–22	1999 tour
44	16 June			align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	16–20		Fabien Galthié
45	26 June			align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	7–54		Raphaël Ibañez
46	28 August			align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	23–34	1999 RWC Warm-up
47	2 October			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	33–20	1999 Rugby World Cup
48	8 October			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	47–13
49	16 October			align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	28–19
50	24 October		Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland	align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	47–26
51	31 October		Twickenham, London, England	align=center bgcolor=CCFFCC	43–31
52	6 November		Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales	align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	12–35

Record by country

Opponent	Played	Won
	300	159
	67	122
	33	20
	72	70
	72	28
	105	50
	96	81
	47	13
	84	137
	268	51
	39	22
	134	91
	66	123
	16	20
	189	139
TOTAL	1588	1126

Honours

Five Nations Championship
- Winner 1997, 1998
Rugby World Cup
- Runner-up 1999
  - Winner 1995, 1997
Trophée des Bicentenaires
- Runner-up 1997, 1998

Other honours

As a player

France

Five Nations Championship
- Winner 1973, 1977
- Runner-up 1976, 1978

Stade toulousain

France Rugby Union Championship
- Runner-up 1980
Challenge Yves du Manoir
- Runner-up 1971

As a coach

Stade toulousain

France Rugby Union Championship
- Winner 1985, 1986, 1989
- Runner-up 1991
Challenge Yves du Manoir
- Winner 1988
- Runner-up 1984

External links

ESPN Scrum Profile

Notes and References

http://www.scrum.com/scrum/rugby/story/90737.html
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/international/rwc-4-france-upset-the-odds-and-the-all-blacks-in-1999-epic-1.2348584 RWC #4: France upset the odds and the All Blacks in 1999 epic
https://www.francetvinfo.fr/sports/rugby/coupe-du-monde/recit-coupe-du-monde-de-rugby-ce-jour-de-1999-ou-la-france-a-terrasse-l-ogre-neo-zelandais_1126089.html France-Nouvelle-Zélande 1999 : dans les coulisses du "plus grand match" de l'histoire de la Coupe du monde du rugby
https://www.francetvinfo.fr/sports/rugby/xv-de-france/rugby-vous-croyez-que-le-xv-de-france-de-2019-est-le-pire-de-l-histoire-en-1999-ca-n-etait-deja-pas-beau-a-voir_3177419.html Rugby : vous croyez que le XV de France de 2019 est le pire de l'histoire ? En 1999, ça n'était déjà pas beau à voir...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/sport/rugby_union/523219.stm Sport: Rugby Union Skrela steps down as French coach
https://www.liberation.fr/sports/1999/11/17/rugby-l-entraineur-du-xv-de-france-quitte-ses-fonctionsjean-claude-skrela-choisit-d-en-rester-la_289134 Rugby. L'entraîneur du XV de France quitte ses fonctions.Jean-Claude Skrela choisit d'en rester là