Thibaud Lanen

Operating in the back row at ASM Clermont Auvergne, Thibaud Lanen is a French flanker whose work-rate and contact contributions sit at the centre of his game. Born on 1 April 1998, he plays in one of France's most storied Top 14 environments, where the club's history of producing powerful and mobile forwards continues to shape expectations of any back-rower in the pack. Lanen's role calls for a balance of breakdown contest, defensive workload and support running — the staples of any modern flanker in the demanding French domestic competition. Clermont's system has long emphasised forwards capable of producing quick ball through carries and offloads, and Lanen folds into that template, expected to fold into defensive lines quickly, hit cleanly in contact and remain active around the ball-carrier through multiple phases. The Top 14 places a premium on forwards who can perform consistently across long, physically taxing seasons, and Lanen's development is geared toward that durability. With the French rugby pipeline rich in back-row competition at every level, players in his position are pushed to refine technical aspects — tackle technique, jackal positioning, lineout reading — to differentiate themselves within a deep position group.