France kept their Six Nations Grand Slam dream alive with a commanding bonus-point triumph over Italy in Lille this afternoon.
Les Bleus were absolutely brilliant in the opening exchanges, storming to a 19-0 advantage before the visitors could catch their breath.
Louis Bielle-Biarrey touched down first, continuing his remarkable scoring streak to an eighth consecutive Six Nations match after latching onto an Antoine Dupont kick through.
Emmanuel Meafou bundled over from close range shortly after, before Thomas Ramos completed the early blitz.
France stormed into a 19-0 lead against Italy in pulsating fashion
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Ramos stepped in at fly-half following Matthieu Jalibert’s late withdrawal from the squad.
The Italians refused to roll over, though, showing real fighting spirit despite the early onslaught.
Ange Capuozzo got them on the board with a well-taken try, and Paolo Garbisi slotted a penalty to keep his side in the contest.
It’s worth remembering that these two teams played out a thrilling draw at this very venue back in 2024, when Garbisi’s injury-time penalty struck the post and denied Italy a historic first Six Nations win on French soil.
Gonzalo Quesada’s men pushed Ireland close in Dublin last week too, so they’re clearly a side that can’t be taken lightly anymore.
Italy fought back after the break but it was not enough as France’s class proved true
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The crucial fourth try came through debutant Gael Drean, who capitalised while Louis Lynagh sat in the sin-bin.
Emilien Gailleton also crossed the whitewash as the second period proved far less eventful than the first.
Italy simply ran out of energy to compete after the break, though their scrum remained a genuine weapon throughout, winning penalties just as it had done against Ireland.
Fabien Galthie’s side were never really in danger of suffering a shock defeat, even if they had to graft for that all-important bonus point.
Centres Tommaso Menoncello and Leonardo Marin looked dangerous when given opportunities.
France now head to Edinburgh to take on Scotland on Saturday, 7 March, in what could prove the defining fixture of their Grand Slam campaign.
France’s dream of winning the Grand Slam is still on
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Galthie’s squad are formidable at home, where they’ll face England in the final round, so avoiding any slip-ups away from Paris feels absolutely vital.
Italy, meanwhile, will welcome England on the same day with genuine belief they can secure a first-ever victory over Steve Borthwick’s struggling side.
The Azzurri beat Scotland in the opening round and have shown enough quality to suggest they’re no longer the whipping boys of the tournament.
For France, anything less than a Grand Slam would feel like failure.
