Here’s Luke McLaughlin’s full match report
Italy captain Michele Lamaro is giving his thoughts
“Consistency is what changes a game like this. France created a lot, we were pretty good in defence and physically, but we need to improve our consistency. Definitely a better performance than last year and we faced them with all we have, but still lots of things to work on.
What we did last week to prepare for this game is clearly not enough, so we need to prepare more and different for England.”
Raphael Ibanez has more to say about France.
“After 2o minutes you could tell we were lacking game time together, but after a while it was good - five tries and some good moments. We need to step up in every department and we will be working on addressing discipline. Ireland are next and they are not fourth in the rankings for nothing, which their performance yesteday showed.”
France lock, Paul Willemse, is here
“We are happy with the result even though there’s a few things we need sort out like closing the play and finishing possession in the 22. Italy really brought it in defence and they are tough to play against.”
FULL TIME!
PEEEEEEEEEP! That’s the last play of the match as France in the end win very comfortably.
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TRY! France 37 - 10 Italy (Gabin Villiere)
80+2 mins. One final lineout from France in the Italy 22 is taken into the maul once more. Lucu fires it to Ntamack and he does the same onto Villiere. The scrambling Azzuri defence blocks it off before the ball goes all the way right, but imprecision means there’s no way through for France.
All the way left it comes again and this time Villiere has a free run into the corner for his hat-trick.
Ntamack adds the two.
Updated
78 mins. Italy are having their best period for a while; their scrum is doing a good job and Brex very nearly nicked the ball from Ntamack with his line speed. But, the game is dripping towards the end now.
75 mins. Thomas Ramos replaces Melvyn Jaminet at fullback for France.
74 mins. Some decent possession won from the lineout is completely ruined by Garbisi executing a daft chip left when he only had about 15 metres to work in and France had it completely covered. It was like a cross-kick if the main purpose of it was to make you cross.
72 mins. Italy are in the France 22 (?!), and are doing such a decent job in the phases that they force France offside. They send it to the corner.
70 mins. Subs for France.
Alldritt, who has once again been a powerhouse dynamo all game is off for Francois Cros. Dupont is given a break, replaced by Maxime Lucu
TRY! France 30 - 10 Italy (Damian Penaud)
69 mins. Ntamack fizzes a pass to Yoram Moefana who pops to Penaud to set him free on the right touchline. The winger looks inside to find Dupont on the support line and the scrum-half pops it back to Penaud to run in and score.
Jaminet converts.
Updated
64 mins. Penaud, as he is wont to do, drifts off his wing and glides through a gap in the thirteen channel. He bears down on Padovani, chips it forward and is clattered on the chase but the ref rules he more ran into than was run into.
Italy have replaced Stephen Varney with Callum Braley.
Updated
61 mins. Substitute Pettinelli has a big carry from the base of the scrum in his own 22 to set up some decent possession for Italy. But it comes to nowt as the next pass bounces off Garbisi to Alldritt and France are back into the 22. A cross kick from Ntamack is this close to being gathered by Penaud with the tryline for the taking
58 mins. A mexican wave has started, which tells you everything you need to know about this second half thus far. Might start doing one myself, alternating my arms.
57 mins. The France eight marmalise the Italian scrum but can do nothing on the penalty advantage.
More Subs for France: Peato Mauvaka is on or Marchand and Yoram Moefana replaces Danty.
Italy sub
Toa Halafihi is off for Giovanni Pettinelli
54 mins. Very little to report as Italy huff and puff around halfway and France contain them like a big cousin holding the top of their head at arm’s length so they can’t reach to punch them properly.
SUBS:
Epalahame Faiva, Ivan Nemer and Giosuè Zilocchi are on for Italy in the front row; replacing Danilo Fishetti, Gianmarco Lucchesi and Tiziano Pasquali.
France have brough on Demba Bamba for Uini Atonio
TRY! France 23 - 10 Italy (Gabin Villiere)
49 mins. Every Italy clearance simply invites another French attack and this one sees Alldritt pick and drive straight through a ruck. The Number 8 carries ten metres before popping to the supporting Villiere whose sevens background is on show as he dummies a chip kick before stepping the fullback and running in. Glorious stuff.
Jaminet misses the conversion.
Updated
47 mins. Another France lineout, another France maul in the Italy 22. The visiting defence manages to hold this one up and Dupont is forced to use it to not much result other than Italy having a penalty for France holding on.
NO TRY!
43 mins. Not only is it not a try, Marchand is also penalised for handling in the ruck in the subsequent melee. Italy clear.
On the next possession Garbisi hits and absolutely minging kick that goes 2000ft up and about 28 inches forward on his own 10m line. Fickou grabs it but the France clearout spares Garbisi’s blushes by being penalised for sealing off.
Updated
42 mins. France have a lineout on the Italy 22 and it’s straight off the top to a rampaging Danty crash-ball run. The centre is rumbles up to the line and as he tries to ground under a number of Azzuri tacklers it’s not clear he gets it down over the line.
The TMO and Ref Adamson is having a long look..
Second half!
40 mins. Ntamack sends the ball deep right, Ruzza gathers it and Varney clears it.
Half-time musings
Italy have surprised a few here (me, mostly) with some decent physicality and a quality try. But, as the half developed France’s superiority started to show and the home side should be able to maul the Azzuri to death in the second forty. This, plus their ability to punch a few bright holes in the cloudy gloom with tries like that from Villiere on the half, should see a comfortable winning margin.
HALF TIME! France 18 - 10 Italy
PEEP PEEEEP! And that’s the last act of an interesting half.
Updated
TRY! France 18 - 10 Italy (Gabin Villière)
40 mins. An Itlay scrum in their own 22 crumbles like a cannoli under the power of the French pack. Toa Halafihi digs it out and feeds it to Zanon who carries forward but Italy are penalise for sealing off the ruck.
They go to the corner with the kick and it’s an off the top move via Ntamack and Penaud that fizzes the ball to Villiere to score in the corner.
Jaminet adds the two.
Updated
37 mins. France have a penalty just past halfway after Italy drift offside in the tackle line. The visitors have been great value so far, but there’s a very portentous feel to France’s play in the last five minutes. Les Bleus are using their maul more and in the loose also their physicality is beginning to dominate. Expect this to be the ongoing pattern, especially seeing the rain is honking it down in the stadium now.
Updated
PENALTY! France 11 - 10 Italy (Melvyn Jaminet)
34 mins. Jaminet slots this one with little fuss.
Updated
32 mins. Off another effective French lineout catch and drive Danty crashes onto the ball in midfield and toes a gentle grubber through for Fickou to chase. The centre is beaten to it on the Italy line by the covering Varney and the Italian pack tidy up and allow a clearing kick.
But all this does is invite France back onto the attack and Italy are penalised for not rolling away in the tackle.
PENALTY! France 8 - 10 Italy (Paolo Garbisi)
29 mins. Italy will be fuming with that as it was completely avoidable. Scruffy ball off their own set piece, compounded by not tightening it up when the ball was loose.
However, on their next possession they force France offside and Garbisi steps up and slots it from 25 metres out. They are back in front!
TRY! France 9 - 7 Italy (Anthony Jelonch)
27 mins. Woki gets amongst and Italian lineout and does enough to make the ball scrappy on the Italy side. Varney attempts to tidy it up by shovelling to Ioane but Jelonch reads it, yoinks it and gallops in from 30 metres.
Jaminet’s conversion misses off the post.
Updated
22 mins. France lose the ball and after a long Garbisi clearance Jaminet creams a 7o metre 50:22 kick. That’s a wonderful strike. But wait! Villiere hit Menoncello off the ball in the chase, so it’s an Italy penalty instead of a France lineout.
Updated
20 mins. It’s all gone quiet at the Stade De France as the crowd reel from a fabulous few minutes for Italy, but France are back on the attack with a maul that carries the ball into the opposition half. Fischetti is penalised for entering for the side and France put it in the corner which stirs the spectators a little.
TRY! France 3 - 7 Italy (Tommaso Menoncello)
17 mins. Fischetti does a number of Atonio in the scrum to win Italy a welcome penalty. It’s their turn to force and error with a towering Garbisi kick spilled by Jaminet. After couple of carries in the 22, Garbisi sends a cross kick to the teenage Menoncello who is millimetres from the touchline, gathers and scores in the tightest of spaces imaginable.
The TMO takes a look and confirms that is an absolutely incredible finish.
And then Garbisi caresses the conversion over from way out on the right!
Scenes.
Updated
14 mins. A lot of France’s attack is coming via repeated carries in the middle of the park, which says something about how Galthie’s side are approaching the wet conditions. Italy are standing up to it pretty well so far, but it’s forcing the visitors into errors. The latest of which give France a scrum just inside the Azzuri half.
11 mins. So far it feels like Italy have had about 7.4 seconds of possession, but Toa Halafihi decides to do something about that by winning a brilliant jackal turnover in midfield. There are some decent carries from the resulting lineout before Varney knocks on at base of the ruck in the France 22.
Updated
8 mins. First scrum of the match is a France put in on the the Italy22 and is held solid by both sides. The ball is out snappy and Ntamack sends it left through hands before Fickou tickles an angled grubber that Gabin Villière just fumbles forward.
Italy do a decent job of clearing from the scrum very near to their line.
Updated
PENALTY! France 3 - 0 Italy (Melvyn Jaminet)
4 mins. Italy are too eager in the tackle line and drift offside. Jaminet calls for the tee and puts his side in front
3 mins. Brex has a run in behind the France tackle line, but the Azzuri forwards are cleared out of the ruck very easily indeed and lose possession. That is a very worrying sign indeed very early for the visitors.
Kick Off!
1 min. Paolo Garbisi chips the ball long into the Parisian afternoon and we’re off. Alldritt gathers it tidily and Ntamack executes a regulation clearance containing 0% nonsense.
Updated
The teams are on their way out...
France, led by Dupont in their brilliant white Escape To Victory homage away kit, and Italy in grey hoodies. France 1, Italy 0 in the style-off - which is a surprise, let’s be honest.
Updated
John Ryan emails in early with a question:
“Think the conditions will matter, Lee? Or will France run amuck and get 50 plus?”
France scored fifty in Rome on this very weekend a year ago and it’s difficult to see anything significantly different occurring today. Forecast is for rain and some blustery wind which may limit France’s snazz a bit so my money is on a thirty point win.
Pre-match viewing
If you haven’t seen Dupont in a massive, honey monster style dressing gown yet, then get this in you
Élu meilleur joueur de rugby du monde en décembre 2021, @Dupont9A est en couverture de notre premier numéro @GQSports, photographié par Thibault-Théodore en @BALENCIAGA couture — disponible dès demain.
— GQ France (@GQ_France) January 24, 2022
Head of Editorial Content: @pam_boy #GQFrance #Balenciaga #GQSports pic.twitter.com/FTnOMs7aDK
Pre-match reading
Scotland’s win yesterday holds much for them to build on, reckons Bryn Palmer. Read more here..
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Teams
Squad captain Charles Ollivon is still out for France and so the team today is led by the cubic wonder Antoine Dupont from scrum-half. Other than that it’s largely as-you-were with thirteen of the fifteen that pulverised the All Blacks in the Autumn present here.
Italy, in keeping with recent selection policies, have selected teenagers Tommaso Menoncello and Leonardo Marin the squad, while experience in the form of Carlo Canna is nowhere to be seen. Even captain Michele Lamaro is a callow 23 years old with only ten caps.
The very low average age in the Azzuri squad will increase at some point in the tournament however, when 137-year-old Sergio Parrisse rocks up for his narcissist extravaganza retirement send off.
FRANCE
Melvyn Jaminet; Damian Penaud, Gaël Fickou, Jonathan Danty, Gabin Villière; Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont (capt); Cyril Baille, Julien Marchand, Uini Atonio, Cameron Woki, Paul Willemse, Anthony Jelonch, Dylan Cretin, Grégory Alldritt.
Replacements: 16 Peato Mauvaka, 17 Jean-Baptiste Gros, 18 Demba Bamba, 19 Romain Taofifénua, 20 François Cros, 21 Maxime Lucu, 22 Yoram Moefana, 23 Thomas Ramos.
ITALY
Edoardo Padovani; Tommaso Menoncello, Juan Ignacio Brex, Marco Zanon, Montanna Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Stephen Varney; Danilo Fishetti, Gianmarco Lucchesi, Tiziano Pasquali, Niccolò Cannone, Federico Ruzza, Sebastian Negri, Michele Lamaro (capt), Toa Halafihi.
Replacements: 16 Epalahame Faiva, 17 Ivan Nemer, 18 Giosuè Zilocchi, 19 Marco Fuser, 20 Giovanni Pettinelli, 21 Manuel Zuliani, 22 Callum Braley, 23 Leonardo Marin.
Updated
Preamble
Afternoon all, and welcome our live coverage of France vs Italy from the Stade de France.
What a difference twenty-four hours makes. Italy, so long the focus of fan mental arithmetic around exactly how big the margin of loss will be, find themselves no longer alone in this ignominy after the result in Dublin yesterday. Misery loves company so they say (not sure I agree after popping round to see my Grandad yesterday), but keeping the loss below the 21-point margin suffered by Wales would be something of a positive for an Azzuri side that looks to have some potential. A win, their first at the 33rd consecutive attempt against all teams in this tournament, is completely out of the question.
Not only is history against the visitors, but also the float like a bomb drone, sting like a planet killing asteroid capability of this present France squad. Even with some Covid-related squad shenanigans in the build up, the home side are very much here and none of us should expect Italy to have any lunch money left by the end of a tough day.
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