Can anyone stop this French procession? Three matches played, three victories – two with bonus points – and only two further matches, against improving Scotland and declining England, to navigate for a second Grand Slam in four years, and a third championship title in the same period.
Italy, arriving on the back of a victory over the Scots and narrow loss in Dublin, gave it a real lash in Lille and, arguably, provided the sternest test yet for France so far in this year’s championship. Les Bleus scored three tries in the opening 28 minutes and led by 11 points at half-time but it was not until the 71st minute that another point was scored, with wing Gaël Dréan sealing the bonus point on debut.
France get the bonus point! 🇫🇷
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 22, 2026
Gael Drean receives the ball from a crossfield kick in acres of space and the debutant has his first try for his country pic.twitter.com/pbygIk2UsG
Dréan was not even supposed to be starting, with France forced into some late changes. Matthieu Jalibert dropped out on Saturday owing to a calf strain so Thomas Ramos, usually a full-back, moved to fly-half, Théo Attissogbe took the No 15 jersey while Dréan started on the wing.
For the most part, the disruption was minimal. France played with a fluency and ferociousness which would be the envy of most teams globally. Louis Bielle-Biarrey opened the scoring after he hared down Antoine Dupont’s kick; Emmanuel Meafou barged through Louis Lynagh before Ramos himself got in on the act. Dréan sealed the result before Emilien Gailleton put the cherry on the gâteau late on.
Italy managed a smash-and-grab score through Ange Capuozzo but struggled for attacking penetration. Without the ball, however, the Azzurri impressed; their scrum got the better of France’s and they were nuisances for the best part of an hour. With England in Rome next, and their attack not firing on all cylinders, Italy will be buoyed by their defensive showing in Lille.
For France, however, the Grand Slam dream is kept alive. Only Murrayfield and the hosting of England in Paris remain.
Full report to follow...
Thanks for following...
So that’s that for a breathless three weeks of Six Nations rugby, how nice to have them in consecutive weeks. A full report from today’s match to follow, with plenty of reading about the weekend’s action on the website, and ready to come in the week.
Italian head coach Gonzalo Quesada:
First half we finished 19-8 and in the game until the 70th minute. Three lost balls from us led to their tries. But second half we couldn’t put pressure on with the ball, lineouts were poor.
Unfortunately we didn’t have enough quality ball in the second half, they didn’t have a great game either but the scoreboard ran away.
On finishing the game with 13 as Capuozzo went off injured
Our staff handled that super bad, we had a lot of time because we conceded a try. One guy down because of discipline, another because we didn’t sort an injury.
So we end up with a scoreline not reflective of the game.
Italy captain Michele Lamaro:
The scoreboard is always the truth of the game, France was unbelievably good at taking opportunities, especially in the first half. We didn’t concede anything to them but any errors they react very well.
On where it went wrong:
We couldn’t build pressure in second half and that took us to 70th when we had the yellow card, then we had injury so i had to cover back spot and it was tough to contain them.
100% [it’s frustrating], first half we created a couple opportunities, second half we couldn’t keep the ball, especially in the lineout. Even the last phase were within five metres. But we’re playing one of the best teams in the world so you have to be precise, concrete, be at a high level.
We had moments but a lot of others where we haven’t executed well enough.
France defence coach Shaun Edwards to ITV:
Fantastic stadium, incredible, the energy from the fans. We put in a good performance. That was a real tough game of rugby, a real test match as they call it.
I’m pleased, the defence at end was top, really aggressive. Really good to know the things you work in the week come to fruition
You have to dig deep if you want to be chgampions.
On Louis Bielle Biarrey, and the squad’s depth:
Not a bad player... Incredible! I played with the great Martin Offiah, they’re so similar, score so many tries.
We’ve got some great lads coming through, Fabien’s not scared of putting them in there, Theo Attissogbe was very good in the air.
Italy have England next...
Lots of you in the comments saying Italy will beat England in two week’s time! Have to say that Italy’s defence won’t struggle with England’s attack on current evidence - Lynagh and Ioane are great in the air and the pack have an insatiable appetite for tackling.
Not a whole lot to suggest they could break a team down so far, only 38 points in three games but the English defence was inadequate yesterday.
Scrum battle will be intriguing, both teams looking really strong there.
French attack held off
40 minutes between French tries there, really big shift by the Italian defence, bearing in mind they were going from scrum to scrum at one point. A couple days with the feet up now, you’d think.
Man of the match Emmanuel Meafou to ITV:
A good team performance, team effort, we dug deep, I didn’t know I had [80] in me but so grateful.
We always believed, Italy hung in there, never cracked, but we stuck in there and are happy to get all the points.
Our goal is to take the Six Nations game by game but the inside goal is the World Cup so we’ll keep going towards that.
We’ll take the week off, get ready for a big game vs Scotland.
France miles clear at the top
Italy were providing a real arm wrestle there, almost the entirety of the second half played between the 22s, but France, as they do, created some chaos with big tackling and Lynagh went to the bin trying to prevent a counter attack.
France then moved in for the kill with their opponents down to 14 and secured the bonus point while extending their points difference to a healthy 89, 78 more than Scotland in second.
Full time: France 33 Italy 8
The Grand Slam is very much still on. France dominant but Italy worth more than eight points. Entertaining game with plenty physicality.
Reaction to come.
Try France!
London buses, France have their second of the half. Gailleton wriggles through tackle to score in the 22.
The offloads were sublime in getting France into the 22 and Serin kept the pace up, Mickael Guillard carrying particularly well - staggering he’s on the bench after his round one performance but Meafou has been excellent today.
France look wide to Lynagh’s wing and Odogwu makes a good read on Gailleton, but the latter wriggles out and touches down. Conversion scored, sin bin period punished.
77 mins: France 26 Italy 8
Agonisingly close for Italy. Garbisi jr kicks from a maul and the ball flirts with the touchline for the 50/22 but trickles dead. France scrum by half way.
Correction from earlier, Serin has only just come on, a huge reception for the departing Dupont.
France go blind on a scrum to Bielle-Biarrey and a sequence of offloads takes them into the 22.
Try France!
Gael Drean scores on debut to seal the game!
Maul collapsed so France have the advantage. Ramos gets it out back with lots of space and goes cross field to the 25-year-old winger from Toulon, who is untouched even after the ball bounces.
Huge smiles as he secures the bonus point and the half’s first points.
70 mins: France 19 Italy 8
That’s Lynagh’s game done - played well so far. Capuozzo also off temporarily with a shoulder issue, he’s been in the wars today.
France have a lineout 10m out.
Yellow card Louis Lynagh: France 19 Italy 8
For all their scrum prowess - they’ve conceded pens while attacking - Italy’s lineout has been shocking, and it coughs up possession again.
Dupont sends one long into a vacant back right, Odogwu goes back to fetch it but runs straight into Georges-Henri Colombe on his return - probably the one you’d want to avoid the most. Another huge shot from Barassi, and then Dupont on Capuozzo again.
From the latest, France turnover and Lynagh cynically bats the ball down, he’ll go to the bin for the second time this tournament.
69 mins: France 19 Italy 8
HIA for Brau-Boirie so Serin is on at full-back.
Italy get the scrum penalty, 3-2 lead for them now in that regard. Been a real ding-dong.
France will be watching Georges-Henri Colombe with intrigue, his size profile the closest they have to the irreplaceable Uini Atonio.
66 mins: France 19 Italy 8
Mauvaka overthrows so sub scrum half Allessandro Garbisi can clear. His box kick doesn’t go far but Lynagh pressures Bielle-Biarrey into the knock on.
Italy tried to play wide but were intercepted - Capuozzo smashed as he threw the pass. And now French tv directors are playing a compilation of him getting flattened today.
65 mins: France 19 Italy 8
Capuozzo clears, but can only get it just beyond the 22 so France will come back.
63 mins: France 19 Italy 8
France play a tap move but Flament dummies to Meafou - Italian defenders had rushed towards the big man.
The power game is played anyway, but Italy dig deep and as France go to the backs, new centre Fabien Brau-Boirie spills with Italian defenders in his eyeline.
Italian feed five metres from their line.
62 mins: France 19 Italy 8
Big Emmanuel Meafou provides some go forward, wrestling himself just short of the Italian line and prompting the penalty.
62 mins: France 19 Italy 8
France pile the bodies into the maul but the defence is good again. France with possession in the 22, looking wide but Capuozzo comes into the line well to smash Attissogbe.
60 mins: France 19 Italy 8
Italy blink first as Fusco kicks straight out just outside his 22, a good area for Peato Mauvaka’s first throw.
Italy defend the maul well and the ball is worked wide to Drean, who has watched most of the half’s action take place on the other side of the pitch. The winger is tackled into touch though, but Italy’s lineout isn’t straight.
Tellingly, France go for the lineout over the scrum.
58 mins: France 19 Italy 8
Mostly Italian ball this half but Shaun Edwards’s defence has been aggressive. Neither side getting into the other’s 22 at present.
56 mins: France 19 Italy 8
Charles Ollivon, some sub to bring on.
Italy have a feed on half way but France defend the backs move well, before Capuozzo has to check his run and grubber. It’s half charged down and France have the ball to send skywards.
55 mins: France 19 Italy 8
Kick exchange before France counter ruck through Oscar Jegou to turn it over. The attack just outside the 22 before Dupont’s flick to Jegou is dropped. Huge double shot from the Cannone brothers on Flament just before, the lock doing well to absorb that.
Substitutes now ahead of this next scrum, brand new front row for Italy, who will have to contend with the 130kg+ sub tighthead, Georges-Henri Colombe. Lots of weight that side of the scrum with Meafou.
53 mins: France 19 Italy 8
Italy win the lineout but handle sloppily in the backs. They stall on half way so look to the air.
53 mins: France 19 Italy 8
In and out quickly by France who move up to half way down the left before Menoncello drags Attissogbe down. Dupont looks to go down the short side but his grubber bounces out.
Italy go quick at the lineout and kick into a vacant backfield. Capuozzo gives Bielle-Biarrey a good chase and the subsequent Italian counter ruck is good, but just about held off. France clear to touch.
50 mins: France 19 Italy 8
Italy knock on in the lineout so we have another scrum. Both sets of props feel they’re being short-changed by Andrew Brace, who is forced to give them a dressing down.
50 mins: France 19 Italy 8
No they won’t! Dupont is a joke, takes his time on a weak footed box, gets hit hard but wriggles out the tackle and then half breaks the line down the short side before offloading to Bielle-Biarrey. Italy were expecting the kick so the backfield is well stocked and Menoncello makes his third turnover of the game to spare his team.
Really high quality rugby at the moment.
48 mins: France 19 Italy 8
Ball comes out cleanly and Garbisi’s clearance goes long, from 22 to 22. France will clear...
47 mins: France 19 Italy 8
Scrum penalty for France now! Ferrari the man at fault on his own feed, big celebrations from France.
France attack in the backs from the lineout on the 22 but Menoncello gets up well and in the confusion France pass forward. More scrums, I’m not complaining.
45 mins: France 19 Italy 8
Flament steal the lineout and Dupont clears long off the weak peg. French chase is superb to tackle Italy midway through their own half.
A similarly good chase on Italy’s box kick, Jelonch forced into a knock on as he cleared up the scraps from Attissogbe’s tap down.
43 mins: France 19 Italy 8
French atmosphere is so good, not an original observation I know.
Extra impressive then, that Italy win the scrum penalty, big roar from skipper Lamaro. Fischetti the one to win this one.
41 mins: France 19 Italy 8
Italy clear and the kick hugs the touchline nicely. Attissogbe got a light touch on it so Italy will throw, but it’s not straight. France feed - more of the same as the first half please, scrum battle was gripping.
Teams back out
Second half on its way...
The quick one-two
These tries illustrate Charles’s analysis, seperated by just a couple minutes.
Brutal French counter-attack! 🇫🇷
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 22, 2026
Thomas Ramos capitalises on a blistering break from Emilien Gailleton.
One-way traffic. pic.twitter.com/22KEKf4N0t
Italy are back in this one! 🇮🇹
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 22, 2026
Ange Capuozzo pounces after the ball bobbles loose on the French line. GAME ON. pic.twitter.com/KmJzT0PdCW
‘France are mind-boggling and bonkers’
An entertaining half, with a scoreline that is pretty reflective of the standard. France are mind-boggling and bonkers in equal measure; ruthless and accurate in attack coupled with moments which leave you scratching your head.
Italy got a the ascendancy at the scrum and took their try cutely but they still have a mountain to climb in Lille. France can strike from anywhere.
Italy still in it against the run of play
Italy have done well to stem France’s flow, they just look so dangerous when the ball moves outside 10 - phase play or strike play. Not many centres better than Menoncello to defend it, though, with the Toulouse-bound 13 also providing a crucial contribution to the try against the run of play. Always a good bet to grubber to France’s deadball though, who knows what they’ll do trying to get out. The scrum is the other aspect keeping Italy in it.
France are just so irresistible on the counter. The commitment from Italian defenders on the third French try was brilliant but there’s always another attacker in support. They also happen to have a living life hack on the left wing. Turnover, kick in behind, and assume Bielle-Biarrey will latch onto it. Nice and cyclical that his sliced fly hack helped set up Ramos, vice versa from Bielle-Biarrey’s try vs Ireland.
Half-time: France 19 Italy 8
France win the scrum and work a lovely backs move to send Drean through a gap down the left off his wing. The scramble defence by Capuozzo and Garbisi is good and the winger is denied a debut try, for now. Half-time, hugely entertaining half.
40 mins: France 19 Italy 8
The Italian pack will have to go again as Zambonin drops the restarts with seconds left of the half. Coach killer.
Penalty Italy! France 19 Italy 8
Pretty similar position for Garbisi as his infamous miss two years ago but Garbisi slots it! That’s the 10th time Italy have earned a penalty or free-kick from a scrum this tournament.
39 mins: France 19 Italy 5
Doesn’t matter, Italy win the scrum penalty against the head! 90 seconds left of the half so Lamaro points at goal.
37 mins: France 19 Italy 5
The drop out stays within the 22 but France’s defence push Italy back for all eight passes, before Garbisi releases a forward pass.
Jean-Baptiste Gros withdrawn for Rodrigue Neti at loosehead for this scrum. Simone Ferrari has been causing trouble again, what a player.
36 mins: France 19 Italy 5
Italy’s clearance is half charged down so France can attack but the ball goes loose in the midfield and Italy hack through. Bielle-Biarrey coasts back to touch down and instigate a goal line drop out.
35 mins: France 19 Italy 5
France back on the front foot after that chaos, earning a scrum from the restart before Dupont combines nicely with Meafou. France’s forwards get them within a couple metres but Gailleton spills backwards and from the following ruck the ball spills out for a turnover.
Try Italy!
Just a gloriously French way to concede as Capuozzo accepts a gift. Game back on.
Louis Lynagh wins a cross-field kick on the right and feeds Menoncello down the touchline. The centre grubbers forward and it creeps up the line, avoiding touch. About 1m from his line Ramos lifts the ball up for Attissogbe in the deadball, which is completely hospital.
Attissogbe is hounded by three on-rushing Italians and the ball spills out the ruck, giving Capuozzo an easy score. Great execution on the grubber from Menoncello.
Italy are back in this one! 🇮🇹
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 22, 2026
Ange Capuozzo pounces after the ball bobbles loose on the French line. GAME ON. pic.twitter.com/KmJzT0PdCW
Try France!
Thomas Ramos finishes off 70m counter attack!
Italy overthrow and Biell-Biarrey completely slices his fly hack. Gailleton arrives onto it at serious pace and flies through the line. He looks to have got round Lynagh, the last man, but the winger gets back really well. Gailleton offloads to Ramos, who beats Capuozzo, and Lynagh again. to score in the corner before adding his own extras.
19-0.
Brutal French counter-attack! 🇫🇷
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 22, 2026
Thomas Ramos capitalises on a blistering break from Emilien Gailleton.
One-way traffic. pic.twitter.com/22KEKf4N0t
28 mins: France 12 Italy 0
Italy set up the maul before Menoncello runs a nice, strong line. Fusco attempts to play quickly from scrum half but he’s wrapped up by his opposite man, Dupont, and France turn over. The clearance gives Italy another attacking platform from just outside the 22.
26 mins: France 12 Italy 0
Garbisi eventually goes to the air, making the decision to quick tap even more mystifying. It’s mistimed too, with Ioane not on his wing to chase from out to in. The winger makes a decent effort of it but debutant Drean claims on the full very well.
Another Italian opportunity wasted, but they’ll attack from just outside the 22 after Drean hacks the free kick.
25 mins: France 12 Italy 0
France concede a free kick from their maul, and then another for early engagement on the scrum.
That turns into a penalty against Dorian Aldegheri for back chat.
Italy should go to the corner but quick tap 25m out and settle into phase play, Dupont making a good tackle on Ioane in the outside channels to keep them outside the 22.
23 mins: France 12 Italy 0
Great hands down the right from Italy, off the back of slow ball. Marin runs at a weak shoulder and breaks the line. Capuozzo links up then feeds Lynagh who is tackled desperately by Drean and Dupont gets back to jackal. Great attacking rugby, even better scramble defence.
21 mins: France 12 Italy 0
Ferrari gets forward in the scrum but does so illegally, France penalty, but Ramos misses touch. Italian possession on half way.
19 mins: France 12 Italy 0
Nice dummy maul move and handling puts Louis Lynagh within 10, a strong carry from the winger. An even stronger one by Marin from 12 and Italy are within pick and go range.
The ball pops out of the carry though, and after a wonderful forward’s kick from Meafou we have a scrum five metres from France’s line. Opportunity wasted.
Jalibert gets a big cheer on the screen - wasn’t long ago he was a relatively unpopular place holder for Romain Ntamack.
18 mins: France 12 Italy 0
Italy playing unusually pragmatic rugby, conceding territory as they look to the aerial battle. Perhaps it’s an attempt at attrition after two physically taxing games but it doesn’t suit them.
France have a lineout near half-way but Gailleton is pinged for side entry. It’s kickable but Lamaro points to the corner. Italy will throw in around 20m out.
Try France!
Italy stop the maul but France get go-forward ball through both centres.
France are within range and go to their brute in the second row, Emmanuel Meafou, who crashes over. You don’t stop 130kg+ from there.
France had a 46pc try success rate from 22m visits before this game. They always looked like scoring there.
This could be a very long afternoon for Italy...
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 22, 2026
Well worked by France and it's almost impossible to stop Emmanuel Meafou from there 💥 pic.twitter.com/9G5IPdi9gp
13 mins: France 7 Italy 0
Nevermind, Ramos will take a 50/22 now.
Underwhelming attack from Italy as the immediately go to the air, but the kick is sliced. Flament wins it, offloads out the back to Dupont who sends it to Ramos and he hits it end over end for the 50/22.
French attacking ball.
12 mins: France 7 Italy 0
The scrum is in a nice midfield position outside their own 22 and Dupont faints left before picking Ramos out on the left. The fly-half goes for a 50/22 but kicks straight out. Promising attacking lineout for Italy.
11 mins: France 7 Italy 0
A knock on from Italy in French territory and the hosts will feed the scrum.
10 mins: France 7 Italy 0
Italy win a midfield penalty but their subsequent lineout isn’t straight and France opt to scrum. Aggressive decision-making.
The contest is good and France look so threatening through the centres but Attissogbe is stripped. France have it back soon after but Zuliani intercepts Ramos and kicks forward. Attissogbe is back to dive on it. France clear, Italian lineout by half way.
8 mins: France 7 Italy 0
A robust carry from the restart for France and Bielle-Biarrey has some space down the left. He chips forward, the crowd gets loud, but Tommaso Menoncello dives back to recover it.
‘Bielle-Biarrey composed’
How composed a finish was that from Louis Bielle-Biarrey. The ball bounced up and a bit and was not far from going dead, but there was zero panic from the French wing. What a start from Les Bleus.
Practice makes perfect and he’s had plenty of it. What a player.
Try France!
A foot race, only ever one winner... Louis Bielle-Biarrey!
Louis Lynagh beats Attissogbe in the air but France pick up the scraps, giving Dupont a three-on-two down the left. He presses the cheat code button, kicking in behind and Bielle-Biarrey wins the race with ease to dot down.
24th try in as many caps. Eighth Six Nations game he’s scored in in a row.
There's only one winner in a foot race!
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 22, 2026
Louis Bielle-Biarrey scores inside the first four minutes... Ominous. pic.twitter.com/VZQcrt6i18
3 mins: France 0 Italy 0
Gael Drean, on debut, made that first hit on Capuozzo and now makes another big one on Monty Ioane, who was recovering a poor pass as Italy looked for width on turnover ball.
That slows them down and Alessandro Fusco goes to the air.
2 mins: France 0 Italy 0
France box to half-way and Ange Capuozzo is welcomed back to Six Nations rugby with a thump.
The two teams exchange box kicks again and Dupont has it on a string, Capuozzo flattened again, this time by no. 8 Anthony Jelonch.
Anthems done
Acapella anthems, what we love to see. Lille in fine voice.
Italy lining up in their red away strips. Best strip in the tournament, only competitor would be this French home shirt.
‘Gamble of sorts by Fabien Galthié’
We do not need further evidence of the genius of Thomas Ramos, but we might get some more today. At short notice, Ramos, normally a full-back, will start at fly-half today with Matthieu Jalibert pulling out with a slight calf strain.
Ramos has played fly-half for both club and country before but, this time, he has only had 24 hours’ notice to acclimatise, on the occasion of his 50th cap, too. And that is after Jalibert and Antoine Dupont were looking like a very settled half-back combination.
Obviously, it is a gamble of sorts by Fabien Galthié to rejig his backline, pick a debutant on the wing and move his full-back to fly-half, but if there is one player who can take it in his stride then it is Ramos. We shall see if he lives up to my pre-match billing.
Teams in the tunnel
Light show under way, has to be said France do it better than anyone else - their fans are baying for blood. Thomas Ramos leads the team out on his 50th, in a different position than he expected of course, an added complication to what’s set to be a difficult test for France.
Kick off after the anthems.
The Telegraph’s rugby offering
Kick off in 10 minutes so here’s some reading in the meantime. Plenty of dissection of Ireland’s humiliation of England yesterday...
- Humiliation at Twickenham proves England have been found out
- Andy Farrell’s man-management masterclass paid off against England
- Russell’s moment of genius sparks Scotland comeback win against Wales
- Genge apologises to England fans: We believed our own hype
- England v Ireland ratings: Ignominy for Steward and Cowan-Dickie as hosts eviscerated
France’s 23
Even bigger team news for France, Matthieu Jalibert has pulled out late with injury so Thomas Ramos moves up to fly-half, Theo Attissogbe to wing and Gael Drean makes his debut on the wing. He’s scored 12 tries in 14 matches for Toulon this season. Last week’s fresh centre pairing of Fabien Brau-Boirie and Emilien Gailleton are retained.
Thibaud Flament also returns to the pack, he missed the first two rounds to be with his wife as she went through her fertility treatment.
Italy’s 23
The headline is that slippery full-back Ange Capuozzo, who plays his club rugby for Toulouse, is back in the starting XV. Lorenzo Pani, who played there for rounds one and two, drops out the squad completely, which is unfortunate given how well he has played so far. Pani’s a much more aerial fullback, Capuozzo better suited to France’s long kicking game.
An unchanged side elsewhere, which is rare given Italy’s usual fitness struggles in consecutive games. Quesada is asking a lot of the likes of Simone Ferrari, Niccolo and Lorenzo Cannone and Manuel Zuliani to go three weeks in a row, they’ve been notably physical so far.
La formazione scelta dal C.T. Gonzalo #Quesada per affrontare la Francia a Lille, rientra nel XV titolare Ange #Capuozzo 👉#FRAvITA 🇫🇷🇮🇹
— Italrugby (@Federugby) February 20, 2026
📆 Domenica 22 Febbraio
⏰ 16:10
🏟 Decathlon Arena Stade P. Mauroy, Lille
📺 @SkySport Arena ▪ @TV8it ▪ @NOWTV_It#GuinnessM6N#Insiemepic.twitter.com/KCNBV6MeLM
Each side’s tournament so far:
Round one
- France 36 Ireland 14
- Italy 18 Scotland 15
Round two
- Ireland 20 Italy 13
- Wales 12 France 54
Can Italy derail France’s Slam hopes?
A 73-24 defeat is likely to leave some scar tissue, so Italian head coach Gonzalo Quesada must be feeling extra apprehensive having seen France’s destruction of Ireland and Wales so far in this Six Nations. When the two countries matched up in round three of last year’s tournament, France had nilled Wales before losing to England.
Perhaps it was the need for vengeance that motivated France’s rout last year, in which Antoine Dupont scored two of his team’s 11 tries. Perhaps accentuated by the need for vengeance for the 13-13 draw in Lille the year before, in which Paolo Garbisi struck the post with a penalty with the clock in the red after the ball had fallen off the tee. That motivation might not exist so much this year - although Fabien Galthie will be keen to set the record straight at home - but France are looking are looking at an enormous opportunity for a first Grand Slam since 2022.
It seems a world away that Galthie’s position was under scrutiny last year after an albeit weaker team lost all three summer tests to New Zealand before South Africa out-muscled them in Autumn, but France’s near flawless performances in rounds one and two have kept that quiet. For now. The French fanbase is fickle, especially if performances are underwhelming at home, so a third out-of-this-world performance is required today. As is the Grand Slam - Galthie’s France have only won one other Championship (last year) on top of their 2022 Slam and the sense is that there is not enough silverware to show for a golden generation. That feeling will be particularly widespread if they fall short this year given some of the spine of that French golden generation have been removed.
Conversely, pressure to perform is perhaps at the lowest it’s been for a couple of years for Italy. They were physically dominant and short-changed on the scoreboard in their 18-15 win against Scotland - a win that has been recontextualised by Scotland’s performances since - and arguably deserving of the win vs Ireland last week. With a shallower squad than their counterparts, particularly France, there is small expectation they can produce three top class performances in a row. Indeed, after a win against Australia and defiant loss to South Africa in Autumn, they were sloppy in victory over Chile.
But this is an Italian side that continues to defy assumptions. Can they do it again today, or will France rampage on to a much-needed Grand Slam? Stay tuned for team news, build-up and live coverage!