Five takeaways from France v Italy

Colin Newboult
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France rugby player Antoine Dupont, right, is tackled by Italy rugby player Mattia Bellini during the Six Nations international rugby union match between France and Italy at the Stade de France stadium, in Saint Denis, north of Paris, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Following a 35-22 victory for France over Italy in their Six Nations game, here’s our five takeaways from the fixture at the Stade de France.

Antoine Dupont is an absolute star: If we didn’t know already, Dupont confirmed his status as one of the most exciting players in world rugby. The Toulouse playmaker was outstanding in the opening period, taking excellent decisions when his team were on the front foot and constantly challenging the Italians’ fringe defence. The only criticism comes with his control when France went 23-10 ahead as he should have been the player to grab hold of the encounter in the second half.

Italy have found a front-row: For the second game in succession the Italians were solid in the scrum, helping to form an excellent platform for their backline. Zebre’s Giosuè Zilocchi has only just turned 23 but he has made a big difference to a front-row that has struggled since the retirement of Martin Castrogiovanni. With the replacements also performing well and the rest of the pack having a powerful look to it, there is something for head coach Franco Smith to work with.

France move away from their structures: You can see what Fabien Galthie and Shaun Edwards are attempting to implement but too often their players just go off-script. Les Bleus were impressive for around 20 minutes but then seemed to think they could do whatever they wanted to and it allowed the visitors to get back into the contest. France have a plan in both attack and defence, they just need to be more disciplined in how they approach the game, otherwise it will cost them later in the tournament.

Fitness remains a concern for France: It still appears to be a weakness for the French after Italy created a number of problems for their defence, eventually scoring three tries. The hosts started off well, closing down the space quickly and forcing the Azzurri backwards, but they couldn’t maintain it. The visitors began to punch holes in the opposition rearguard and Galthie’s men found themselves under pressure at times. It makes you question how they will handle the pace of the Welsh game in a couple of weeks’ time.

Italy show spirit and skill: After their abysmal performance against Wales, they responded excellently in Paris on Sunday by playing some outstanding rugby. It looked ominous in the opening 20 minutes as the Azzurri were hit backwards with regularity but they adapted and began to find some space. The back-row carried hard while they also remained patient and, as a result, they attacked well in the wider channels. Matteo Minozzi, Jayden Hayward and Mattia Bellini were all dangerous and on this form they will fancy their chances of overturning Scotland in Round Three.

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