Fabien Pelous, long regarded as the hard man of French rugby, retired from the international stage today with a record 118 caps.

"I think it's time to turn a page," the massive lock said quietly to ring the end of an international career spanning more than 12 years, three World Cups, four grand slams and five titles in the Five and Six Nations.

His 118 appearances for France, including 42 as captain, will long guarantee him a line in the rugby record books as France's most-capped player, second only in the world to the Australian George Gregan, who has 139.

"I never played for records but I'm now in a position to look back and I realise that it will mean I have left a mark on my time," Pelous said after breaking the French record of 111 caps held by former centre Philippe Sella.

"I think I owe my record to my passion for rugby which helped me get up every morning and go training with a smile, to the luck which protected me from serious injuries and to my parents who gave me natural strength," he said on Wednesday.

Pelous was born in Toulouse but rugby-educated in Saverdun, a market town in the Ariege area, at the foot of the Pyrenees.

Saverdun's proudest rugby union achievement is a French championship third division title in the 1960s, won in the old-fashioned way with a strong pack and a good goalkicker.

"I joined the rugby school when I was 13. Even then, you had to be a fighter to play. You had to be valiant, as they used to say in Saverdun," he once said.

At 18 and 1.98 metres tall, he moved up one division when he joined Graulhet. A year later he reached the first division when he was signed by Dax, joining his France under-18 team mates Raphael Ibanez and Olivier Magne.

"Dax didn't pick me for my smooth passing. I was a violent player," Pelous said. "I was violent because rugby was a violent sport even at international level."

When he was selected to play in the 1995 Latin Cup, Pelous had just been sent off in a domestic championship match.

He travelled with the team to Argentina, missed the first game because of a suspension but won his first cap in France's 52-8 win over Romania on October 17.

By the time the 1999 World Cup came along, Pelous had joined Toulouse and won his first French championship title but he was cited for kicking an opponent during a first round game against Fiji and banned for 14 days.

He came back to play in France's memorable 43-31 victory over New Zealand in the semi-final at Twickenham.

Bernard Laporte, appointed France coach after that World Cup, named Pelous as his first captain. Pelous led the team 15 times before being dropped after a disastrous 2001 Six Nations.

"It was a terrible blow. I was kicked out of the team for the first time since 1995 but I never doubted I would come back if I could prove I was physically back at my best, so I worked hard, changed my routine," he said.

Laporte was quickly convinced to recall him for the 2002 Six Nations. France went on to win a grand slam, Pelous's third.

Then came the 2003 World Cup and the disappointment of defeat by England in the semi-final. Captain Fabien Galthie hung up his boots and Pelous was handed the captaincy again.

He added another grand slam to his name in 2004 and a Six Nations title in 2006 but he was injured against New Zealand that November.

The 2006-07 European season was to be a blank year. Pelous once again came back for the World Cup but it was too late to pip Gregan and to lift the William Webb Ellis trophy.

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