Well that got better. It was no South Africa 32-34 Japan (sorry, I could type that scoreline all night), but it wasn’t the worst match you’ll see. France were too strong in the scrum and Italy could do little but give penalties away. Towards the end it all got a bit chaotic, with cohesion and poise going the way of Betamax.
Join us again tomorrow for the next round of matches. Cheers for reading. Bye.
Full-time: France 32-10 Italy
Italy batter away: six, seven, eight phases and they have the advantage. They also have two metres to go to the French try line. They’re not getting there, so we go back for the penalty. They take the tap. They get turned over. France knock on. It’s done.
79 min Hacked long by Italy after Spedding’s mistake, but the full-back does brilliantly to get back and cover for himself. He brings it tireless back forward, but then holds on in contact. Allan puts the penalty to touch on the 22, before being replaced by Canna.
78 min Off the scrum they go right and Spedding surges up over the 10 metre line. They sweep left, then right, but even one with such dancing feet as Fickou’s cannot find space. Still they go, having more success in the tight, before Fickou and Bastareaud exchange surprisingly delicate passes, before Spedding loses the ball in contact.
76 min France work it through the hands, looking for a way to run it, but there’s nothing doing and Michalak kicks long. Sarto gathers just inside his own half and gives to McLean, but the full back knocks on when tackled by the chasers. Michalak is replaced by Tales.
75 min Finally Cittadini drives up to within a couple of metres. It goes right, but Bacchin is tackled firmly into touch. It’s a penalty advantage though, so to the corner again we go. The lineout is poor though, no one is lifted and France collect easily, charging out of the 22.
74 min A second maul forms and Palazzani goes off the back of it to Allan, but there’s still no ground gained by Italy. They go wider, but it’s as though there is some kind of forcefield on the five metre line.
73 min France stop the maul by choosing some questionable entry points and, surprisingly, getting away with it. Italy reset and crab infield.
72 min Final change for Italy as Bernabo replaces Furno, just before a lineout on the France 22. Bastareaud comes charging out and smashing Allan, but he was up too soon and Allan pops the resulting penalty in the corner.
70 min There’s still time for France to pick up a bonus point, though I wouldn’t count on it. From the restart, Zanni goes off his feet (it was Minto replaced by Furno earlier, sorry), but Michalak’s penalty misses touch.
Try! (Mas 70 + Michalak con) France 32-10 Italy
Flanquart replaces Maestri and pops the ball down for Bastareaud to crash it towards the line. There’s a pick-up and peel off the back of the ruck by the veteran prop and he sharply grounds it against the foot of the posts for the try.
68 min From the scrum on the 22, Allan delays his kick and it’s very nearly charged down. Nakaitaci and Le Roux carry it forward over halfway, then there’s a penalty as Favaro goes off his feet. Michalak into touch, on the left, in the 22. Again.
67 min Kayser has a nasty cut above the eye and surely needs to go to the blood bin. He had a hefty clash of heads with Bernard Le Roux. Yep off he goes. Also off is Picamoles, which is why Le Roux is there.
66 min France lineout just inside the 22, which Italy disrupt well to slow the ball down. They go through the phases and Italy win the turnover, only to hand it straight back. France shift it left, but Dumoulin’s pass out left goes forward.
65 min Knocked on by France while I was checking all those replacements. It’s a scrum, which means a penalty to Les Bleues Rouges for collapsing.
63 min A massive hit from Favaro, who appears to be on for someone, on Dumoulin sends the ball flying back towards the French line and inspires a big chase, but the whistle has gone as it actually flew forward off the flanker’s hand.
Loads more changes as Palazzani replaces Gori, Favaro is on for Zanni and Mas replaces Slimani. Oh and Manici is on for Ghiraldini. Think that’s it.
62 min We’ve now gone from one end of the field to the other and back again, all in penalties. Ben-Arous and Guirado are replaced by Deabty and Kayser as France plug away at the Italian defence, but they turn it over and Allan kicks long. France opt for the running game, with Spedding going on the charge over halfway.
60 min Quick ball off the top and Nakaitaci drives up to halfway on the crash ball. In off his feet comes Zanni and Michalak kicks the penalty into the 22.
59 min Ghiraldini goes with another short one to Geldenhuys at the front. The maul drives forward towards the line, then Zanni peels and carries it up. He holds on in the tackle though and it’s another penalty.
58 min Another penalty to Italy from the ensuing lineout as France enter the maul at the side. Allan pops this one into the corner on the right.
57 min After a little fussing, a little rucking, Gori box kicks clear. A big cheer from the French crowd, as Parra replaces Tillous-Borde before a French lineout eight metres inside the Italian half. They win the lineout but concede a penalty for holding on in the ruck. Italy are a touch lucky not to have it reversed, as Rizzo clears his man out the ruck late.
56 min Yep it’s a clear neck roll on Minto by the France hooker, but not a particularly bad one. Just a penalty, which Allan kicks to touch on the right, just outside the 22.
56 min France put the penalty in the corner, but can’t get any forward momentum at the maul, even with Bastareaud adding his extra heft. It goes to ground, but there’s an intervention from the touch judge. He reckons he’s seen a neck roll from Guirado, so we’re going to have a look...
55 min Huget is helped off the field and replaced by Fickou. This looks concerning for France.
55 min It’s advantage France as they go right, quickly. It comes out to Huget and he cuts inside from the 22, but then loses it as he slips in the tackle. We go back for a penalty against Rizzo for collapsing, but the greater concern is that Huget is down hurt. It looks like his knee went when he stepped back inside.
54 min Italy bring the pressure right back on with a knock on at the restart. France scrum out on the left, a couple of metres outside the 22.
Try! (Venditti 52 + Allan con) France 25-10 Italy
Patient build-up from Italy as Sarto is stopped short. Oh but then Venditti has come round off his wing, is unmarked and gets round the outside of Dusautoir to cruise in! He heads closer to the posts and Allan gratefully converts.
51 min A French scrum under their owns posts; it’s a strong one and Spedding clears from deep. Aguero and Castrogiovanni go off, Rizzo and Cittadini on for Italy. Anyway, Italy have a lineout on the 22 and they go right to left from it, with Sarto looking for a gap. Cittadini and Ghiraldini drive it up then Vunisa gets up to within a metre.
No try
The ball was ever so slightly fumbled over the line by the number nine. Unlucky.
50 min There are men out wide for Italy with the French suckered into the rucks, but Italy keep it tight. It’s almost a mistake as a strong counter ruck brings the ball back on the French side, but the ball squirts loose and Gori dives for the line! We’re going to the TMO...
49 min A short lineout and Italy drive the maul well, heading for the corner. France come in at the side and Gori takes a quick tap; he’s so close, but France converge on him.
48 min Good work from Furno, stealing the lineout away from Pape. Italy carry it through the middle and win a penalty as Dusautoir doesn’t roll away. There’s a wee bit of niggle there, and Joubert advances the penalty 10 metres as France prevent the quick penalty. Allan kicks to touch on the left, just outside the 22.
47 min Italy win a turnover, briefly, before Slimani rips it off the ball carrier on halfway and makes 10 metres back in the direction of the Italian line. There’s an offside there, and Michalak sticks the penalty in the corner.
46 min Now France are cooking. They run the restart back, with Spedding sizzling through a gap and crossing the halfway line. Back inside it comes and Dusautoir carries it forward.
Try! (Slimani 44 + Michalak con) France 25-3 Italy
A brilliant run from the wing, skating down the left at pace, leaving Italians in his dust and cutting inside. He gives it on to Guirado, who barrels up to the foot of the posts. Recycled twice then Michalak chips through cutely and the giant prop gathers to go over from four metres. Michalak converts from under the posts.
43 min Tillous-Borde clears and McLean flings it inside. Italy crab laterally, but there’s no ground to be gained so Allan sends it high to Michalak, who returns it the same way with a low one. Another kick, then it goes left to Nakaitaci...
Penalty (Micahalk 42) France 18-3 Italy
25 metres out, five to the left of the sticks and that’s easy enough for Freddy.
41 min OK let’s do this. No changes at half-time. Michalak kicks things off, Geldenhuys collects and Allan’s clearance is charged down by Picamoles. He’s lucky to see it rebound to McLean and the full-back clears. Bad news for him is that the chasing players were all in front of him and that’s yet another penalty against Castrogiovanni. He must be close to a yellow now.
This hasn’t been great to watch. Italy aren’t in it: they’ve been smashed up front, with Picamoles to the fore for France, and have conceded 11 penalties already (France have conceded six themselves). To compound their misery, Andrea Masi has been stretchered off and it doesn’t look good for him.
Half-time France 15-3 Italy
The restart goes out on the full and that’s that for the half. I don’t think this one’s going on the front page tomorrow.
Penalty (Michalak 40) France 15-3 Italy
From 15m in on the right, on the 22, Michalak sends it through. He looks to be settling now.
39 min Wonderful charge from Picamoles from the restart as he smashes through Sarto and charges up into the Italian half down the right. He grubbers ahead for Huget to take, but McLean gathers and shepherds it into touch on his own 22. From the lineout, Furno makes contact with Pape in the air and concedes another penalty.
Monster penalty! (Spedding 38) France 12-3 Italy
Oof. Spedding, from a wide angle on the left and a couple of metres inside his own half, smashes it over.
37 min Castro’s knees go to the ground and it’s yet another penalty against Italy at the scrum. They’re yet to win a single scrum, the Italians.
36 min Some good disruption at the lineout from Furno forces the knock-on and earns his side a scrum on halfway.
35 min A kicking exchange ends when Gori thumps it into touch on halfway.
Penalty (Allan 34) France 9-3 Italy
Good kick this, from Allan, just about forcing it over from 42 metres.
33 min “Nine! Get out nine!” yells Joubert as Tillous-Borde lingers around the Italian side of the scrum. Tillous-Borde boots it out of Gori’s hands and that’s one of the stupider penalties you’ll see.
32 min Sigh, another knock-on. “This has been looking ominously like the Craig Joubert show from early on,” reckons Charlie Aero. 14 penalties already suggests that, but neither side has helped themselves.
31 min From the lineout, Bastareaud smashes into Allan but lets the ball slip from his grasp. Scrum Italy, about eight metres inside the France half. From that, they concede a free-kick for “hit and chase”. No idea on that one, sorry.
30 min The future Saracen, Vunisa, catches a deep kick on the full and absolutely flies into contact on halfway. Right it goes to Venditti, but he’s suffocated for space and Bastareaud drives him into touch.
Penalty (Michalak 28) France 9-0 Italy
From 37 metres, slightly to the left, Michalak knocks it through. France are looking decent, but haven’t come that close to scoring too many tries.
27 min From the drop-out, Bastareaud and Spedding crash it up down the left. That’s a scary amount of power. Back inside and Zanni is harshly penalised for not supporting his own body weight.
26 min With nothing doing, Spedding fires a kick down the middle into space. It’s almost an excellent kick, but bobbles just a couple of feet too far into the in-goal area and Italy dot down.
25 min They get a bit too cocky though and spill the ball backwards. They can regather, but France have lost a lot of ground now.
24 min Skip ahead thanks to technical difficulties and Italy win a lineout in the French 22, but turn it over. Spedding bounces Castrogiovanni off effortlessly and France sweep left and upfield.
Updated
23 min With all this freezing, my feed is now a good minute behind Simon Burnton’s to my left. After making their way up the field through several phases, France are penalised for offside once again.
22 min Eddy Ben-Arous drives in on the angle and is, this time, penalised. Just before my feed freezes again, we learn that Andrea Masi has an injury to his achilles tendon, which is probably not going to be good news given Morisi’s earlier injury.
21 min Eight penalties now, against Italy as Aguero collapses the scrum. Michalak, 30m out and wide on the right, sees his penalty drift across and once again hit the post. It rebounds into play and Huget knocks on trying to gather.
18 min Chouly takes it off the top and gives it to Bastareaud, who smashes through Allan. It’s recycled and they sweep right, but Dumoulin’s final offload out of contact goes forward.
“It’s a good day for underdogs all round. Japan, West Ham, Chelsea...” writes Matt Dony. In truth, though, you have to feel a bit sorry for this game, following the Springboks shocker.” Tell me about it. In waltzes Burnton between my two MBMS and off he goes again with the glory.
17 min A short lineout won by Zanni, but France slow it down legally. Vunisa drives it on, then it goes left to Bacchin, but Minto is pinged for sealing it off illegally.
16 min France concede the penalty as Maestri closes the gap at a lineout. Allan, with very little angle to work with, fires it down the right and into touch on the 22.
15 min A question from Robin Hazelhurst, as the teams engage in kick tennis, and it’s one that cropped up here, yesterday. “Are you allowed to drop kick a conversion? France today, Fiji yesterday, take a snap drop the moment the ref blows for the try and the TMO doesn’t have time to intervene. Five points in the bag for a risk of two.”
The answer is yes, you are. I’ve seen it a couple of times before.
14 min Allan steps up and skews it badly across the face of goal.
13 min Here we go again. Italy snipe and dart and probe from around 10 metres, but there’s no quarter given. Left they go and Italy are driven back, but we go back for a penalty advantage as the French were offside. About 16 metres in from the right and only 10 metres or so out, they’ll surely go for the points here.
12 min Before all that, Masi picked up a knock and he is replaced by Bacchin. Italy have it just over the French 10 metre line, then Bacchin’s half-break and pop pass sets Ghiraldini away. He’s into the 22 before my feed freezes up!
Penalty (Michalak 11)
We’re going back for an advantage to France, then, although after he lost control Nakaitaci was tugged back and prevented from regathering. Michalak knocks a simple kick over from under the posts.
10 min Huget looks to step but is stopped. France go right through the hands and Picamoles looks to put Nakaitaci in on the overlap. It bounces off the back of Sarto and bounces into the in-goal area, but the wing is alert to it and goes over. Oh the try is given, but the replay on the screen suggests he’s knocked on. Michalak will have to wait to take the conversion. It’s exactly the same situation as the Matawalu non-try last night.
9 min Michalak kicks down the right and finds touch on the 22. Guirado finds his man and then comes off the back of the ensuing ruck to make good ground. Dumoulin is the next man to take it and he goes through a gap, taking his side to within five...
8 min Tomasso Allan, nephew of former South Africa and Scotland international John, restarts and Spedding clears. I once had dinner with John Allan as he was a friend of my uncle’s. Anyway, lineout to Italy on the 10m line and they pop it down. Masi goes through the middle, holds on in the tackle and that’s a fourth penalty conceded already.
Penalty (Michalak 7) France 3-0 Italy
From 30m, just to the left, Michalak finds his radar and slots it through.
6 min Through the hands from France and Dumoulin takes it into the collision. Italy don’t roll away, so that’s a penalty, then Geldenhuys boots the ball away so they get marched back another 10 metres. Another chance for Michalak.
5 min Michalak steps up and sweeps it towards goal, but drags his kick a touch and it clips the outside of the post and bounces wide. Allan restarts with the drop out and France gather.
4 min That’s a mess of a scrum and Castro is penalised for pulling out under pressure, although Ben Arous was boring in. Penalty France and Michalak will have a pop at goal from centre-ish, about 38m out.
Updated
3 min The lineout is clean and, after the maul goes nowhere, Slimani charges off the back and crosses the gainline. It goes left, to Bastareaud and on to Michalak who pops it back inside, but there’s an accidental offside and that’s a scrum to Italy.
2 min Italy retain it, going left and probing at the French defensive line. They’re so inquisitive they forget to release the ball and it’s another penalty, French this time, and Michalak kicks to touch down the right, just on the Italy 10 metre line.
Peep! Here we go, Tommy Allan kicking off left-to-right. Italy in blue, France in red tonight. Michalak sends it up high and Italy regather on halfway. France don’t roll away at the breakdown and Gori goes off quickly from the penalty. McLean and Ghiraldini carry it on.
The Italians are pumped, mind. Martin Castrogiovanni, captain for the day and, in Parisse’s absence, moving ahead of the number eight as the most capped Italian ever, punches the air and does a little leap at the end of the anthems.
Anthems watch: this is a very partisan, pro-French crowd. Guess some people do say Italy, Mr. Scorpio.
Lasers! Disco lights! Artificial noise! Despite all this, the atmosphere at Twickenham does seem to be pretty rocking as the players run on to the pitch.
“Please could I ask you to type really slowly during the game,” writes Damian Clarke. “My telly has suddenly and unilaterally decided to delete ITV4, and whilst I can watch it on my laptop, it mostly just shows a little scrolling circle. So no spoilers for those of us in limbo, please.”
You’re in luck. Not only do I have sore hands and extreme tiredness, but ITV4 isn’t working for us either, so I’m also watching this on the ITV website. Don’t any of you do that though, the only way to follow the game is through the MBM.
I should point out that, for whatever annoying reason, the teams I’ve been given and pasted below are numbered 15-1, rather than the traditional 15-9; 1-8. Don’t worry, my notes are in the right order so I’ll guide you through.
This does feel a bit flat though. Kind of like a seven-match ODI series after the Ashes.
Well this isn’t going to live up to that last match, is it?
I’ve been left genuinely speechless by that result, one of the all-time great sporting upsets. With that in mind, how about a riff: what would have to happen in this match for it to be as good as that?
Yeah. Ignore my second-to-last paragraph.
Preamble
Evening, folks. I know what you’re all asking yourselves.
There’s a reason nobody ever says Italy, though and that’s Sergio Parisse. I won’t wax lyrical again about how he’s carried his side for a decade, of what he brings to the team or just of his likeability – it’s been done before and you know all about that already.
Italy open their 2015 World Cup campaign with one of their toughest matches and they open it without their captain. Samuela Vunisa is the Ed Skrein to Parisse’s Jason Statham (one for all you Guardian reading rugby and Transporter movie fans). Not worse, but compounding his absence, is the injury that has deprived them of Luca Morisi, their most exciting back. This isn’t looking good for Italy.
Once upon a time it was cliché to say that France were unpredictable. Then it was a cliché to say that. Now it’s a cliché to make meta jokes about clichés no matter how many layers you add, so that’s one reason to stop here. Another is that France, despite being a distinctly mid-table side for the last four years in the Six Nations, are starting to look a bit handy.
Their scrum gave England’s a right doing over in Paris less than a month ago. They have the most exciting back division in the northern hemisphere – OK Wesley Fofana is out, but this is still almost as tasty as that time I cooked myself blue steak and four portions of dauphinoise potatoes with peppercorn sauce. Good god I’m hungry.
I have a funny feeling about France. Their half-backs are a concern, what with Philippe Saint-André’s odd decision to keep on picking Sebastien Tillous-Borde over Morgan Parra and entrust fly-half duties to Frédéric Michalak, the Sergio Garcia of rugby. I think they’re going to play utter dross. And I think they’re going to win it.
There’s a chance France will lose this. I’d say it was the most likely upset of the weekend, but as I write this Japan have just drawn level with South Africa after 53 minutes. Still, I expect them not to – they should win comfortably, if not particularly well.
Kick-off is at 8pm BST, or 9pm both French and Italian times. Here are your teams:
France
Scott Spedding, Yoann Huget, Mathieu Bastareaud, Alexandre Dumoulin, Noa Nakaitaci, Frederic Michalak, Sebastien Tillous-Borde; Louis Picamoles, Damien Chouly, Thierry Dusautoir (captain), Yoann Maestri, Pascal Pape, Rabah Slimani, Guilhem Guirado, Eddy Ben Arous.
Replacements: Benjamin Kayser, Vincent Debaty, Nicolas Mas, Bernard Le Roux, Alexandre Flanquart, Morgan Parra, Remi Tales, Gael Fickou
Italy
Luke McLean, Leonardo Sarto, Michele Campagnaro, Andrea Masi, Giovanbattista Venditti, Tommaso Allan, Edoardo Gori; Samuela Vunisa, Francesco Minto, Alessandro Zanni, Josh Furno, Quintin Geldenhays, Martin Castrogiovanni, Leonardo Ghiraldini, Matias Aguero.
Replacements: Andrea Manici, Michele Rizzo, Lorenzo Cittadini, Valerio Bernabo, Simone Favaro, Guglielmo Palazzani, Carlo Canna, Enrico Bacchin
Updated
