Jean-Baptiste Élissalde

Infobox Rugby biography
name = Jean-Baptiste Élissalde
nickname = le Petit rat (the small rat)
birthyear = 1977
birthmonth = 11
birthday = 23
placeofbirth = La Rochelle
dateofdeath =
placeofdeath =
height = height|m=1.72
weight = convert|73|kg|stlb|abbr=on
ru_position = Scrum half, Fly-half
ru_nationalteam = France
ru_nationalyears = 2000-
ru_nationalcaps = 28
ru_nationalpoints = (190)
ru_ntupdate = October 13 2007
ru_clubyears = 1997-2002 2002-
ru_proclubs = Stade Rochelais Stade Toulousain
ru_clubcaps =
ru_clubpoints =
ru_clubupdate = October 13 2007
other = yes
occupation =
spouse =
children =
relatives = *Laurent Bidart (maternal grandfather, international)
*Arnaud Élissalde (paternal grandfather, player and coach)
*Jean-Pierre Élissalde (father, international player & coach)
school =
university =
url =

Jean-Baptiste Élissalde (born 23 November, 1977 in La Rochelle, France) is a French rugby union footballer. He is a third-generation France international, as his maternal grandfather Laurent Bidart and father Jean-Pierre Élissalde both represented France in international rugby. [cite web|url=http://www.rugbyworldcup.com/home/news/newsid=2018155.html#key+match+gomarsall+elissalde |title=Key match-ups - Gomarsall v Elissalde |author=Bond, Karen, Rugby News Service |publisher=Rugby World Cup |date=2007-10-13 |accessdate=2007-10-15] Élissalde is capable of playing either as a scrum-half or as a fly-half. He played in La Rochelle until 2002 then decided to go to Toulouse, where he initially had a hard time breaking into the senior squad, competing against Frédéric Michalak and Yann Delaigue.

Now he is the first-choice scrumhalf at Toulouse and is competing with Biarritz Olympique's Dimitri Yachvili for the number 9 shirt in the French national team. He was notably the best French scorer during the 2004 Grand Slam and also scored 36 points.

Élissalde was a member of the Toulouse teams that won the Heineken Cup twice in 2003 and in 2005, and the Top 14-winning team of 2008.He is considered one of the best goalkickers in France and kicked the winning conversion in the quarterfinal against New Zealand at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, a game which France won 20-18.

Trivia

* His name, which is a very frequent Basque name, means "near the church" in the Basque language.

Notes and references

External links

* [http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/36_4571.php?player=728 ERC profile]
* [http://www.rbs6nations.com/squad_france_123.htm RBS 6 Nations profile]