Italy player ratings: Michele Lamaro leads the charge in gutting draw with France

Dylan Coetzee

Italy captain Michele Lamaro on the charge.

Following the dramatic Six Nations 13-13 draw between France and Italy in Lille, here are our player ratings for the Azzurri.

Ratings

15 Ange Capuozzo: Back at his preferred position and it showed. The star was present throughout and when his side needed a potent edge to their attack he produced the try beating three defenders in the process. Made an impressive eight tackles as well. 8

14 Tommaso Menoncello: The official man-of-the-match after a blockbuster performance. He showed crazy strength in the carry, especially in contact, as he never stopped the whole game. He is a special player and key for this side going forward. 7

13 Ignacio Brex Juan: Just immense on both sides of the ball. He battered up the midfield whenever asked and marshalled the backline on defence with aplomb. Managing double figures in carries and tackles speaks volumes about his work rate. 7

12 Federico Mori: The quietest backline player for the Azzurri, but still Mori did not shy away from his role and applied himself throughout without throwing his name in lights. 5

11 Monty Ioane: Dynamic and lethal. Whenever the wing gets the ball, there is a sense of anticipation that something will happen. Made a whopping 110 metres as he did everything in his power to get his team over the line. 7

10 Paolo Garbisi: Can’t help but feel absolutely gutted for the fly-half who had a chance to win the game only for the ball to fall off the tee and rush the eventual kick. Agonsing. However, he was brilliant otherwise as he guided his team beautifully throughout, as well as dealing with heavy traffic down his channel, forcing him into 11 tackles. A real general’s performance and one of the key efforts in getting the draw. 7

9 Martin Page Relo: Had a decent outing that included a lovely long-range penalty. Subbed soon after halftime but can be pleased with his efforts during a period where his side were under massive pressure. 6

Planet Rugby player ratings key 10 - Career defining performance 9 - Outright blockbuster effort 8 - Significantly influenced the result of the game 7 - Committed and effective outing 6 - Flashes of brilliance outside of executing fundamentals 5 - Fulfilling the role required by position (base level) 4 - Poor execution of fundamentals 3 - Costly errors and/or discipline in the game 2 - Poor performance that directly impacted the result 1 - Grossly ineffective throughout 0 - Should have carried water instead

Planet Rugby’s player ratings key.

Engine room

8 Ross Vintcent: Certainly did not look like it was his first start at Test level, with the star constantly looking for ways to influence the game. One of the chief defenders, with a ridiculous 18 tackles on the day. 7

7 Michele Lamaro: Captain fantastic. The efforts of Lamaro can never be questioned, and that was the case again as he matched Vincent’s tackles count but carried the ball the most out of the forwards with 10. The flank’s consistency is remarkable and his efforts deserved the win. 8

6 Riccardo Favretto: It is wild to think the ‘quietest’ loose forward for Italy still managed 12 tackles. The flank was another in the trenches defending the relentless France attack, particularly in the first half. 6

5 Federico Ruzza: Yet another star who was critical to that first-half defensive set and notched up double digits with his tackle count. Was neat otherwise in a mammoth shift. 7

4 Niccolo Cannone: Really becoming a quality Test player, and with his work rate, he is a coach’s dream. His 16 tackles corroborate that very clearly. 7

3 Giosue Zilocchi: Remarkably the only starting forward not to make 10 tackles or more. He did make a lovely steal but was dominated in the scrum. 5

2 Giacomo Nicotera: Emptied the tank in his 56 minutes on the park and provided a solid foundation with his lineout throwing and tackled like a man possessed with 16 in less than an hour. 7

1 Danilo Fischetti: Had mixed luck in the scrum against a strong France pack but made up for it with work rate in a solid outing. 6

Replacements: Manuel Zuliani provided a chance to win the game with an epic breakdown steal but unfortunately it was not to be. Stephen Varney elevated the speed of the attack very well and looks like a better scrum-half option on the front foot. Unlike France, the replacements for the Azzurri almost won them the game. 7

READ MORE: Italy fall agonisingly short of historic win as 14-man France hold on for a draw after Jonathan Danty red card

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