6N 2016: France v Italy, 6 February

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FRANCE v ITALY
6 February 2016
KO: 15:25 CET
Stade de France, Paris

Live on FR2, DMAX, BBC, RTE, FR2, ITV(H)

Referee: JP Doyle (England)
Touch judges: [tbc]
Television match official: [tbc]

A. Head to Head

37 Played 37
34 Won 3
0 Drawn 0
3 Lost 34
1,101 Points 392

B. Recent Form

19 September 2015
Twickenham Stadium, London
32 – 10 to France

15 March 2015
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
0 – 29 to France

9 February 2014
Stade de France, Saint Denis
30 – 10 to France

3 February 2013
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
23 – 18 to Italy

4 February 2012
Stade de France, Saint Denis
30 – 12 to France

C. Teams

FRANCE

15 Maxime Medard
14 Hugo Bonneval
13 Gael Fickou
12 Jonathan Danty
11 Virimi Vakatawa
10 Jules Plisson
9 Sebastien Bezy

1 Eddy Ben Arous
2 Guilhem Guirado
3 Rabah Slimani
4 Paul Jedrasiak
5 Yoann Maestri
6 Damien Chouly
7 Wenceslas Lauret
8 Louis Picamoles

16 Camille Chat
17 Uini Atonio
18 Jefferson Poirot
19 Alexandre Flanquart
20 Yacouba Camara
21 Maxime Machenaud
22 Jean Marc Doussain
23 Maxime Mermoz

ITALY
 
15 David Odiete
14 Leonardo Sarto
13 Michele Campagnaro
12 Gonzalo Garcia
11 Mattia Bellini
10 Carlo Canna
9 Edoardo Gori

1 Andrea Lovotti
2 Ornel Gega
3 Lorenzo Cittadini
4 George Biagi
5 Marco Fuser
6 Francesco Minto
7 Alessandro Zanni
8 Sergio Parisse

16 Davide Giazzon
17 Matteo Zanusso
18 Martin Castrogiovanni
19 Valerio Bernabo
20 Dries van Schalkwyk
21 Guglielmo Palazzani
22 Kelly Haimona
23 Luke McLean

Scrum issues and penalty to Italy

Parisse points to posts...

Carlo Canna near miss. Score remains the same. Five kicks only one successful by both teams. A swirling 40kt breeze is effecting the easy points

French defence and discipline is poor as well.
Very windy out there, might explain (not excuse) both kickers failures.

Parrise looks superb

Italy you feel are very unlucky not to turn around ahead.

whocares wrote:French defence and discipline is poor as well.
Very windy out there, might explain (not excuse) both kickers failures.

I agree...!

I guess mon Noves can only do so much in two weeks. Maybe defensive skills are in next weeks class?

Wow we are very lucky there. Campagnoro just a few cms away from the try line. He's having a field day in the midfield. Danty and fickou are really weak defensively today.

Notch wrote:Italy you feel are very unlucky not to turn around ahead.

Indeed - they have had the best of it and missed kicks and a try chance

Notch wrote:Italy you feel are very unlucky not to turn around ahead.

Maybe but France look the more accomplished team.

Italians have a great game one to ten but outside backs look iffy.  France look like a good team getting to know each other.

Pilson at flyhalf for France looks like a poor selection

maestegmafia wrote:

Notch wrote:Italy you feel are very unlucky not to turn around ahead.

Maybe but France look the more accomplished team.

Italians have a great game one to ten but outside backs look iffy.  France look like a good team getting to know each other.

Pilson at flyhalf for France looks like a poor selection

You mean 1 to 8. Italy half backs are very poor.

maestegmafia wrote:

whocares wrote:French defence and discipline is poor as well.
Very windy out there, might explain (not excuse) both kickers failures.

I agree...!

I guess mon Noves can only do so much in two weeks. Maybe defensive skills are in next weeks class?

Shows that putting up an entirely new backline with only 2-3 players that ever played together has his limits.
Hope it can only improve but you can understand Irish and English selections that didn't change much their backs.

VinceWLB wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

Notch wrote:Italy you feel are very unlucky not to turn around ahead.

Maybe but France look the more accomplished team.

Italians have a great game one to ten but outside backs look iffy.  France look like a good team getting to know each other.

Pilson at flyhalf for France looks like a poor selection

You mean 1 to 8. Italy half backs are very poor.

Gori is t great but Canna is doing ok

Italy are doing realy,realy well. Too be honest they are domning better than i thought they would be at this point.

If there goal kicker had kicked, his goals they would be in front by now.

Are we in for the first shock of the 6ns Italy beating France in France.

Looking forward to the 2nd half thats for sure.

I think the French will cruise to a big victory after a halftime talking to.

Penalty from a scrum kicked by Canna. Italy re-take the lead.

maestegmafia wrote:I think the French will cruise to a big victory after a halftime talking to.

Not judging by the last 5 minutes they won't.

I have to eat my words, Italy half backs aren't that bad!

Great work on the blind side by Italy and Carlo Canna goes over..!

10-16 France haven't touched the ball yet and Italy are taking advantage of possession well.

nathan wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:I think the French will cruise to a big victory after a halftime talking to.

Not judging by the last 5 minutes they won't.

35 to go. I'm not regretting my post yet.

Great play by Canna, pinning the French back.

France get the lineout and first possession of the second half. Win a penalty for Italy not releasing, Paulson hammers the ball down the touch line and France double the weight of their pack by bribing on Antonio

maestegmafia wrote:

nathan wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:I think the French will cruise to a big victory after a halftime talking to.

Not judging by the last 5 minutes they won't.

35 to go. I'm not regretting my post yet.

Come on Italy. What a start to the 6Ns if they can pull off their first win in Paris.

France look awful, Italy very composed and doing the basics well.

So many errors by France, they look like they have never trained together

This is some performance from Italy. They are keeping France well under the cosh.

Italy may regret their errors in the French 22 though, that's the only place it isn't going well for them.

Good tactical management by the Italians. French have had so little procession. If they are to get back into the match they will need some urgency and sustained possession.

Italy seem to have the better set piece...

Try bonnevale

First series of phase play the French have had in about forty minutes

France upping the tempo off the Italian mistakes,

looks like a try to me

Italy need to bounce back and score next.

Great to see an overhead camera angle for the TMO.

Made life very simple for awarding the try there

Great defence of their narrow one point lead by the Italians.

France need to learn how to throw and catch a pass under pressure a bit better.

Not sure I can see the Italians holding on..

Pen France and the French re-take the lead even though failing to look as convincing as they should.

20-18

Once France get some speed into the game, they look very threatening.

France too strong at the breakdown, that is the first penalty Italy have had for ages

eirebilly wrote:Once France get some speed into the game, they look very threatening.

I agree.

There is a great team hidden in there somewhere. Fair play though Italy have no rolled over and have played some very good rugby.

They might even re-take the lead here after another breakdown penalty.

Referee has not been great, especially around the breakdown.

20-21

Kelly finally nails a kick!

Kelly Haimona nails a big kick in a big test match! What is life!?

Casual stroke from the prop playing flyhalf

Would be a massive kick if he makes this.

Very harsh decision

Parisse is right, initial offence was by the French tackler.

Unfortunately that refereeing mistake has resulted in France taking the lead again.

Great penalty from Plisson but I think the ref got the call wrong, that was a pen to Italy for a high tackle

Big 4 minutes now..

Not too sure about that Penalty for France, looked like a high tackle to me. Very unlucky for Italy.

Come on Italy,

Think they deserve this match

So are Italy better or France rubbish?

wales606 wrote:Come on Italy,

Think they deserve this match

+1

nathan wrote:So are Italy better or France rubbish?

Ha ha - don't know! Bit of both?