France vs Italy LIVE: Six Nations rugby result and reaction from Stade de France
Follow latest reaction from Stade de France after Les Blues opened their campaign with a win on Sunday afternoon
France began their bid for a first Six Nations title since 2010 with a 37-10 bonus-point win over Italy at a rain-soaked Stade de France on Sunday, as winger Gabin Villiere ran in a hat-trick.
The Azzurri, looking for a first Championship win since 2015 and their first ever victory in Paris, took a surprise lead when teenage debutant Tommaso Menoncello gathered a kick to finish in the corner.
France struck back with Anthony Jelonch and Villiere tries to take an eight-point lead into halftime.
Villiere weaved a path through the Italian defence to cross again after the break before Damian Penaud added the bonus-point score, and Villiere dived over for his third with the clock in the red.
France are level with Ireland on five points at the top of the table after the opening round, ahead of their meeting in Paris next Saturday.
Italy face England in Rome on Sunday, where both sides will be looking to respond to opening-day defeats after the English lost their opener in Scotland.
France 30-10 Italy, 80 minutes
Will France finish with a score? Gabin Villiere fancies a hat-trick, twice ignoring teammates as he darts and dashes for the line on the left.
Back to the right, surely a try if it goes through the hands...the ball goes to ground!
Still French ball, though. An overlap on the left now!
France 30-10 Italy, 79 minutes
France play left off the scrum and make 10 metres, and then five more as they move the ball back infield. Hame Faiva is in good jackaling position but a teammate has failed to vacate the ruck - penalty to France, and the first act of the final play will be a lineout inside the Italian 22.
France 30-10 Italy, 78 minutes
France try a structured backs move from the lineout but Ignacio Brex shuts the space down superbly, catching the ball with an extended right paw as he crashes into Romain Ntamack. A knock-on from the Italian centre, not deemed deliberate.
France 30-10 Italy, 77 minutes
That’s doubly painful for Leonardo Marin - the replacement Italian back, more usually a fly-half but at full-back since his arrival today, doesn’t jump as he looks skywards for a high kick. Thomas Ramos does leave the ground and is taken in the air by Marin.
Sort of. It looked a lot like Ramos kneed Marin in the nose, evidenced by drops of claret down his blue shirt, but the duty of care falls on the grounded player, and Marin is penalised.
France 30-10 Italy, 75 minutes
A knock-on allows France a chance to make the final change of the afternoon - Thomas Ramos takes over for Melvyn Jaminet at full-back.
Powerful scrummaging from Italy! Giosue Zilocchi turns Jean-Baptiste Gros in and the French loosehead is penalised...
But Italy then miss touch. It’s been that sort of half.
France 30-10 Italy, 74 minutes
That means Italy launch their next attack from inside their own half, but it ends with a similarly futile Garbisi stab. France win the battle of the boot that ensues and will have a lineout.
France 30-10 Italy, 72 minutes
And it is the visitors on the attack, with their first concerted effort inside the French 22 since half-time. A France offside means a penalty which Paolo Garbisi kicks for the corner, asking his forwards to do more bashing on the door.
They oblige, but find it largely locked. Centre Marco Zanon takes over but is also buffeted backwards by a clutch of tacklers, with Yoram Moefana delivering the telling final thump. A speculative Paolo Garbisi dink is claimed with relative ease by Damian Penaud, who also calls a mark.
France 30-10 Italy, 70 minutes
Dupont’s last act will be that assist as Maxime Lucu replaces the France captain at scrum-half. Frnacois Cros and Jean-Baptiste Gros also arrive in the back row and at loosehead respectively.
Italy have given a debut to a fourth player this afternoon as Manuel Zuliani says hello to test rugby.
TRY! FRANCE 30-10 Italy (Damian Penaud try, 68 minutes)
That is a thing of beauty! What a score from France!
Italy skew slightly too far infield with their wide defence and prop Giosue Zilocchi is exposed, one-on-one with the slippery Yoram Moefana. The replacement centre slides to the outside and sends Damian Penaud along the touchline, long strides evading the arms of Monty Ioane trying to claw him back.
Penaud advances, Antoine Dupont times his support line well and a simple one-two allows the French right winger to cross for the bonus point score.
Simple skills executed well. Melvyn Jaminet adds two more to the tally.
France 23-10 Italy, 66 minutes
France maul, but Italy have been stodgy defensively against the drive all-day. France are told to use it, and Peato Mauvaka is penalised for using Demba Bamba like a Roman shield, propping Bamba in in front of him as he then tries to advance. Italy survive again.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments