He was also heavily responsible for London Wasps' win in the 2007 Heineken Cup final, playing in the same side as fellow Six Nations captain Phil Vickery.

[3] Ibañez continued to play for Wasps until suffering a series of what ultimately proved to be career-ending head injuries in late 2008.

Whilst completing a two-month rest period, he continued to suffer symptoms from his injuries during training sessions, and ended his playing career on medical advice.

[5] He made his debut against Wales in 1996 and went on to win 72 caps for his country, including 27 as captain, before his first retirement from international rugby in 2003.

Ibañez retired from international rugby after the 2003 World Cup, but French coach Bernard Laporte made it one of his priorities to bring him back into the fold, especially after fellow hooker William Servat was ruled out of the autumn schedule with a neck injury.

[9] In 2020, after a career in club rugby management, and following the retirement of coach Bernard Laporte, Ibañez was appointed as Team Manager for France in a joint appointment with Fabien Galthié as Head Coach and Selector to lead the side into the 2023 World Cup to be staged in France.