Right I can’t hang around long. That was a great opener: Italy far better than anyone expected them to be, Sergio Parisse still somehow managing to play like a god, and they were so close to opening the Six Nations with a massive upset.
France weren’t great, but there looked to be the seeds of something promising there. They’ll take the win and be smarter and sharper next week.
I’m rushing off to Murrayfield for Scotland v England. Come, join me.
Full-time: France 23-21 Italy
It comes back to Parisse in the pocket 38 metres out, he goes for it, but scuffs the effort and pulls it wide! What a story that would have been.
More phases but they’re crabbing across the pitch. Fuser carries towards the 22. Another phases and now Haimona is back in the pocket...
80 min Parisse picks up and gives it to Haimona. The captain gets it back and carries it on. Italy pick and go, looking to force France into a mistake. We’re about 38 metres out. Still going as the clock goes red, but they can’t get over the gainline. This is excellent defence from France. Parisse makes ground but it’s too far out for Haimona to go for the drop...
80 min Another reset. Who’d be a referee here?
79 min Big powerful scrum from Italy, who want the penalty. JP Doyle opts for the reset instead, much to the disappointment of Castrogiovanni. Last chance for Italy.
78 min And back left. They go into the ruck and Danty, looking to pinch it after Flanquart’s tackle, knocks on. Scrum Italy, whom we might have written off a bit too quickly. This has been a very impressive performance. France have been interesting, but naive.
Palazzani, who is normally a No9, replaces Canna, who must be hurt; Doussain is on for... someone for France.
77 min Italy and Minto secure it from the restart and pick and drive from halfway, looking to force the penalty I assume. They’re going very slowly, so go right through the hands.
Penalty! (Plisson 76) France 23-21 Italy
From halfway, out on the right, Plisson sends an absolute monster sailing through! Why was Bezy kicking earlier again!?
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75 min Parisse is angry – he concedes a penalty for holding on but the tackle on him by Camara was high.
Penalty (Haimona 74) France 20-21 Italy
Canna is receiving treatment, so Haimona will take. He is a terrible kicker, frankly, but he’s somehow made this one!
73 min Flanquart comes on for Jedrasiak as Italy set up the maul on the 10 metre line out on the right. It’s well defended and Italy are forced to recycle quickly, but Atonio goes off his feet this time and Canna has a chance to put Italy back in front from 38 metres, just off to the right.
72 min Italy run it from the 22 after Parisse misjudges the bounce of one that he thought was going into the in-goal area. Haimona jinks up to halfway, then win a penalty when Poirot dives into the side of a ruck.
71 min A bit of kick tennis now.
70 min Italy have changed both their props now, as well as their open-side flanker. From the restart, France kick too deep and Parisse dots down for the 22 drop-out, which is carried back up over the 10 metre line only for Castrogiovanni to nab it on the floor. Great work from the prop there and Gori returns the kick.
Penalty! (Plisson 69) France 20-18 Italy
That’s a great strike from 43 metres, just out left. France lead again.
69 min Bezy and Garcia off, Machenaud and Haimona on...
68 min Van Schalkwyk is back on for Italy, not sure who’s off though. An exchange of kicks, then Van Schalkwyk is done for going off his feet at a ruck on the 10 metre line. Plisson will surely kick for goal and the lead.
67 min France go right but the passing is loose and Danty has to tap back. We’ve had a lot of entertaining, ambitious back play today but with a few too many errors. Bonneval is tackled into touch on the right.
66 min And a great kick puts the ball into touch five out from the Italian line. It’s a well-managed exit, but the clearance is taken by Vakatawa and he runs it back. Castro is on at prop for Italy.
65 min Gori’s kick off the base of the scrum isn’t great and Medard fields, then returns. Garcia has it on halfway and he’s mulched by Atonio. Italy retain it and Canna goes high; it’s so close to bouncing into the hands of Zanni, but instead Medard is able to step away with the ball.
Yep, he went to ground in the tackle and his head caught the knee of Maestri on the way down. Ouch.
64 min France put width on it quickly – the new props look to have made a difference at the scrum – and Bonneval, who has grown in influence steps back inside. They recycle and work it back inside, but now the captain, Guirado knocks on. Bellini has taken a bump on the head by hte looks of things.
62 min This time Giazzon finds his man, but when they go right Campagnaro knocks on under pressure from Danty, who has impressed today.
61 min France secure the restart and Plisson clears long to touch just inside his own half. Good kick from under his sticks.
Conversion! (Plisson 60) France 17-18 Italy
Change of kicker and Plisson smacks it over from the touchline. Game on!
Try! (Bonneval 60) France 15-18 Italy
Now France work it back left and the Italian back line is a mess. Bonneval comes round to create the overlap, steps back inside and goes over in the corner. That was all made by Vakatawa’s break though.
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59 min Giazzon throws too long, not a great start from him. They keep possession and fire the ball right to the wing, but it’s fumbled forward and France have the scrum. Right they go from it, Vakatawa off his wing and showing great strength to power into the 22. The crowd noise gets up...
58 min Maestri does very well though, stealing the lineout and Plisson clears long to touch. Nice defensive job from France, but they need to start dictating the tempo somehow; Parisse, Gori and Canna have been brilliant at preventing them from doing so.
57 min Gega is replaced by Giazzon, Fickou by Mermoz. Campagnaro chips into space in the 22 and Medard fumbles it into touch 15 from his own line!
56 min Luke McLean is on for Odiete, who has been near invisible. That gives Italy a left-footed kicking option who can come in at first receiver. Parisse nicks the French lineout and Gori sends it high, but Bonneval does well, turning and catching while running backwards towards his own line and calling the mark. France haven’t been allowed to play at all in this half.
55 min France lineout on their own 10 metre line and from that, Plisson sends it high for Odiete to take. Left to Garcia, who probes down the left but he’s tackled into touch well by Camara.
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54 min Now Italy come back with Sarto running on a big angle, going round and out side. Campagnaro doesn’t make himself available back inside though and the wing, isolated, holds on on the floor.
53 min Garcia, left footed, sends as perfect a grubber as you’ll see down the left and puts France right back down into the corner. Chouly takes it in and Bezy boxes clear to Bellini.
52 min France secure it from the lineout and look to pick and drive, but the passing is scrappy when they go left down the short side and some aggressive Italian defence drives them back. Plisson though chips and steps back inside to cross halfway, but it’s stolen!
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51 min Plisson puts it into touch on the Italy 10 metre line. The giants Atonio and Poirot, on debut, are on for Ben Arous and Slimani in the front row.
50 min Spilled and Italy get it back. Sarto gets and knocks a grubber down the right, the ball bobbling into touch five metres out. Maestri secures the lineout and they maul up towards the 22 before Bezy puts it high and Vakatawa chases well, forcing Sarto to hold on and give away a penalty.
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49 min The tempo of this one is ratcheting up now. Free-kick to Italy at the scrum and Canna puts it high...
48 min Also I need to give Vakatawa credit for being the last man to stop Parisse dotting down. Anyway, Italy knock on at the restart but steal the scrum against the head! Gori sprints clear but is turned over on the 10 metre line and Danty looks for a gap, but when he’s tackled the ball goes loose and Italy get the scrum.
Conversion (Canna 47) France 10-18 Italy
Fired through from the right of the posts. It was a great offload from Gori to Canna, by the way, to put the young No10 over.
Try! (Canna 46) France 10-16 Italy
Well. Parisse makes a great break after Gori sniped and looks to be in, only for Medard to make a stunning tackle right on the line. It’s recycled though and Canna, who has been so impressive, glides over the line!
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45 min Bernarbo is on for Biagi for Italy, who maul it up field. Canna offloads sweetly to Garcia then takes the return pass. Right they go after Campagnaro carries on and Parisse, then Garcia again go down the right. Nice from Italy, who are into the 22 now.
Penalty! (Canna 44) France 10-11 Italy
Actually it’s much wider, only about five in from touch. Not the cleanest strike, but he curls it through and Italy lead!
43 min The Italians had the edge in the scrum in the first half and they get a penalty here, for boring in by Slimani. Canna to kick at goal from around 15m to the left, on the 22.
42 min Bad news for France: Picamoles in on crutches. France nab the overthrown lineout inside their own 22 and move it right, but it’s a poor pass from Fickou out to Bonneval, who knocks on 10 metres in from touch. Scrum Italy...
Peeep! After a 14-minute half-time break, Plisson restarts with a short kick and France regain possession on the 10 metre line. No changes at half-time. France go left along the line but Sarto makes the interception! He goes over halfway and into contact, whence France go off their feet. Canna into touch down the right.
That was pretty good. Direct and powerful from Italy, who would be ahead if not for their poor discipline in the French 22. And whisper it, but this France side looks like it wants to bring some flair back.
Half-time France 10-8 Italy
40 min Italy crab down the left, into the 22. France stand firm though, so they crap infield. A lovely offload from Canna puts Campagnaro through a gap and he’s going to score... no! A great tackle from Fickou at the deal and the centre can’t quite reach as he stretches for the line! It’s turned over and Plisson boots the ball off the pitch. Whew.
39 min Offside at the breakdown against Jedrasiak. Canna puts it into touch just outside the 22 and Italy move it inside nicely from the lineout. The crowd sounds quite fantastic now.
38 min A tough kick for Canna, who fires wide from 35 metres or so. Zero from five place kicks today. Plisson, who might find himself with kicking duties soon, clears long as La Marseillaise rings out.
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37 min Taken into touch and Parisse wins the lineout on the Italian right, 40 metres out. They get the penalty at the maul too as there was a French shirt just swimming unsubtly up the side of it. Parisse aims a slap at Maestri, which is funny.
@DanLucas86 some player that Parrise lad. He'll finish his career as one of the great 8's of all time. Top leader & player.
— John McEnerney (@MackerOnTheMed) February 6, 2016
35 min Maestri takes it and France go left across their own 22. No overlap there, so Plisson kicks long to Odiete, who runs it up over halfway. Campagnaro takes a pass on the bounce, stood deep, and makes the break, but Garcia can’t hold on to the offload and France run it back.
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34 min From the right-hand touchline, Bezy pulls it wide of the far post. None from three for him, though they’ve all been very difficult. Still, international rugby and all that.
Try! (Chouly 33) France 10-8 Italy
Penalty to France for a deliberate knock on and, with the defence asleep, Fickou is sharp and takes it quickly. There’s a massive overlap and they go right through the hands, Chouly eventually sliding into the corner for a simple finish.
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32 min France go left quickly again with Plisson looping round looking to create the overlap. Danty takes it on, but they can’t punch a hole quite yet and have to recycle, changing direction at almost every phase. Vakatawa gets into the 22 picking up from a ruck...
31 min Parisse knocks on at the lineout and France get the scrum on halfway, five metres in from touch. It’s another strong scrum from Italy, but France come away with it.
30 min Canna finds touch on the left, five metres inside the French half.
@DanLucas86 Not a single ticket sold after Paris attacks? Wow. Was that because they stopped selling them or because people weren't keen?
— sarah jane bacon (@sportzzzgirl) February 6, 2016
Not sure, but the BBC implied the latter.
29 min Quickly off the back off the maul from France. Bezy looks a good little scrum-half, getting quick ball to the backs. Right they go, then left again and Medard can’t find space. Vakatawa comes inside off his wing, but then dives into a ruck and gives away a penalty.
28 min Parisse takes the restart in the 22 and Gori clears to Chouly, who carries to halfway. Sarto then makes a brilliant tackle on Lauret, driving him back a good 10 metres! The flanker does very well to offload though and France get a penalty for a high tackle by Zanni. That was very harsh. Plisson to touch on the 22.
27 min Around 10 metres to the right of the sticks, Canna misses badly to the right. This kind of thing could cost Italy.
Try! (Parisse 26) France 5-8 Italy
Parisse takes it at the back this time and sets the maul. It’s a mighty drive and, from five metres, France are powerless to stop it. And Parisse is the man at the bottom of it!
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25 min Driving maul and Italy have advantage. They throw it inside with nothing to lose and Canna chips through, but once again Sarto spills it! Back for the penalty and Canna sticks it back in the corner.
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24 min Garcia might be OK, as he slices through the defensive line. Campagnaro chips ahead and Medard has to be alert, getting across to field and boot it into touch five metres from his own line. Chance now for Italy.
22 min Slightly less of a monster this, from Plisson, finding touch just inside his own half on the right. Chouly taps it back to Bezy and they go inside, then back right, with Medard looking for space once again. He’s got such wonderful feet. Bezy’s pass out the back of the ruck is into his own man’s knee though and Italy get the scrum. Haimona is preparing to come on, I think for Gonzalo Garcia.
21 min What a kick chase from Bellini, who makes the tackle on Plisson and wins the turnover. No matter though, as Italy immediately go offside and concede the penalty. Zanni returns from the blood bin for Van Schalkwyk.
20 min Left again and Medard steps round a tackle once again. Right now and Guirado burrows into the 22 out wide. Cittadini, the Wasps prop, does brilliantly though, ripping the ball away from the next ball carrier and Canna clears.
19 min Parisse’s hands are touched in the air and Doyle awards a penalty for obstruction in the air. Canna misses touch with it though and Fickou takes it back up to the Italian 10 metre line.
18 min Oh this is lovely from France. They go wide quickly, Medard giving to Vakatawa and looping round to take the return pass. Five metres out, three defenders drag him into touch. Also the replay confirms the first try was fine.
17 min From the restart Italy get a scrum on the 22, for what looks to be a knock on. However Lovotti is penalised for losing his bind and France get the chance to clear their lines with the penalty. Bloody hell, Plisson’s kick is a stunner, finding touch on the Italy 22 on the right.
16 min From the touchline, Bezy pulls it miles wide of the near post. The French tradition of having a scrum-half as kicker isn’t working. Also it looked to me as though Vakatawa put a foot in touch when stepping back inside.
Camara is on for France for the injured Picamoles. That’s a huge loss.
Try! (Vakatwa 14) France 5-3 Italy
Now a chance as France create and overlap on the left and Lauret carries powerfully up to the 22. It’s carried on, through the phases crabbing right. Plisson sends out a long pass, Lauret loops around and they work it out to the sevens specialist on the left touchline. He checks, steps back inside and dots down for the first try.
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13 min From wide on the right, 40 metres out, Bezy pushes it well wide. Van Schalkwyk is on as a blood replacement for Bezy. Anyway, from the restart it’s worked to Danty, who muscles through a tackle and wriggles over halfway down the left, before the French swing it out to the opposite wing.
12 min France get the penalty for playing the man in the air. Bezy elects to go for the points.
11 min After a short delay while Garcia gets his ankle looked at, Gega throws to the shortened lineout midway inside his own 22. It’s quickly off the top, back to Canna and the fly-half clears well down the Italian left, finding touch near the 10 metre line.
10 min Italy are offside at the ruck and Bezy takes it quickly. Up over the 10 metre line they go and work it through short passing to Medard. The full-back grubbers it down the right and into touch near the Italy 22.
9 min Gori clears to touch on halfway down the right from the restart. Chouly taps down the lineout and France swing it right to Vakatwa.
Drop-goal! (Canna 8) France 0-3 Italy
Back it goes to the No10 in the pocket. He sets himself and swings it very sweetly through the posts!
8 min It’s another solid scrum and Sarto crashes it up in midfield. Left they go, but when it comes back inside the handling is shoddy and it goes loose. Italy have been driven back outside the 22, but they keep possession and look to probe down the left, then back in the middle...
7 min Good position this for Italy, on the 22 and about 15 in from the right-hand touchline.
6 min Italy engage too early and it’s a free-kick. Picamoles takes it and is held up by Parisse, who wins the turnover scrum again.
5 min Excellent scrum from the Italians and Parisse comes off the back. Gega carries it on and makes no ground, then Gori puts it up. Sarto chases magnificently and beats Medard to the ball, but can’t hold on. He was clean through from the 22 if he had!
4 min Not even close to straight from Guirado, the new captain, but it goes unnoticed. Jedrasiak takes and flips it to Picamoles, who enters the maul. It’s a very ordinary one though and Parisse holds him up very well, winning the turnover and the scrum.
3 min Jedrasiak, the debutant, takes it 11 metres inside his half and Italy concede a penalty for going off their feet at the breakdown; Biagi, I think, the culprit. Again Plisson goes down the left and gets his side up to the Italy 10 metre line.
2 min Right now and Campagnaro goes on the angle, carrying it up to the 22! Right to Garcia, but when he goes into contact the whistle goes for accidental offside. Plisson clears to touch down the left.
PEEEP! Under slate grey skies and at JP Doyle’s signal, Canna gets the Six Nations under way. It’s taken in the 22 by France in their tricolour away shirts and drive up before Plisson kicks high for Parisse to take on halfway. Sarto carries down the right and they work it back inside, before Parisse crosses the 10 metre line.
This is pretty spot on from one of my most famous Twitter followers (the singer from Crowded House beats him, in case you were wondering).
French fans won't settle for just a win,they will want to win in style. Fans present at diminished Stade de France deserve to be entertained
— Brett Gosper (@brettgosper) February 6, 2016
The Stade de France is only at three-quarters capacity. 60,000 in and not a single ticket sold after the Paris terror attacks, which is understandable.
Robin Hazelhurst writes: “Yippee, real rugby is back after that frippery and fancy-dannery of the autumn. Is it fair to say this is the deciding weekend of the tournament, with the wooden spoon match here followed by the third-fourth playoff and then the championship decider tomorrow? What odds on three draws to leave everyone scratching their heads? I’ll call it as that.”
I don’t think so, no. I think tomorrow’s is the likely champions against the team who will battle Italy for the wooden spoon. Ireland look pretty poor to me.
The players are heading out. Five minutes to go until the 2016 Six Nations gets under way!
Tell me, who’s your money on for this one?
Alternatively the “American Six Nations” gets underway today. Martin Pengelly writes wonderfully from the New York office. Or his home, I dunno, I don’t keep tabs on him.
Is Guy Noves the man to resurrect French rugby? One man who thinks so is Guy Noves:
During my playing career I was suspended four times, always for fighting in defence of my team-mates. Today, I’m still always ready to be the first out of the trenches. It’s my job.
Gavin Mortimer has the full story right here:
Talking of speaking easy, today’s pre-match musical interlude is a lovely tribute to Glenn Frey.
Good cause dept.
Ben Grier, a sports event management student at Manchester Met Uni, is hosting a Slim Jim’s Speakeasy to raise money for Concern Universal. Tell me you don’t want to go to a Speakeasy! Then stop lying and, if you’re about in Manchester on Tuesday, grab yourself some tickets here.
Preamble
Afternoon, folks. 21 years ago there was a joke in an episode of the Simpsons, where Bart and Lisa accidentally get given the wrong lunch boxes for school:
Bart: Uh, I think I got your lunch.
[He hands Lisa a note from his lunch bag: “I Am Very Proud Of You. Love, Mom.”]
Lisa: Oh yeah, I didn’t think this was for me.
[She hands Bart a note from her lunch bag: “Be Good. For The Love Of God, *Please* Be Good.”]
In this post-2015 World Cup world the Southern Hemisphere is very much the Lisa Simpson of world rugby: bright, sharp, clever and progressive. As for the Six Nations I’m not all that fussed about who wins it: I just want to pass it Bart’s note.
The Six Nations is a wonderful, unique thing. For the (admittedly only the well-off) fans, it’s possible to spend a weekend on frosted cobble streets in Rome, the next in The Bailey on Duke Street in Dublin with its James Joyce connections. You can head to Caroline Street in Cardiff – dubbed by my dad The Street of a Thousand Chip Shops – and find the barmaid who hit on my grandfather a few years back. You can take in Paris in the springtime and drink wine where Hemingway met Fitzgerald, then go on to south west London and Twickenham and… actually no, don’t bother with that one. For one thing it wreaks havoc with my trains home.
All of that is lovely, but it doesn’t change the fact that the rugby itself feels woefully outdated. Yes, it can often be blighted by wintry northern hemisphere weather, but a turgid lack of ambition is at least equally to blame. The consensus seems to be that unless the northern hemisphere at least makes an effort to keep up with their more successful counterparts, then this old tournament is going to quickly end up decades behind and die a withering death.
But let’s not be too down: international rugby is back! And after a brilliant World Cup, that’s something to get excited about. This opener is, admittedly, very much an appetiser for today’s Calcutta Cup-flavoured main course. France aren’t expected to uproot too many trees this year, but they should have far too much about them for a weak-looking Italy.
The cliche goes that it’s cliche to talk about expecting the unexpected from France. After all, they stank out the World Cup and, under Philippe Saint-André, failed to once finish in the top half of the Six Nations – a truly remarkable stat when you consider the recent strength of their clubs in Europe. But now, at long last, we might be able to revert to the old cliche.
This is as exciting a French team as we’ve seen in a while. Their new coach, Guy Noves, is a serial winner having led Toulouse to four Heineken Cups and nine Top 14 titles. Jonathan Danty, making his debut at 12, forms a new centre partnership with Gael Fickou that looks like the most balanced and the most exciting in more than a decade. On the wing, sevens specialist Virimi Vakatawa – who hasn’t played 15-man rugby in more than two years – is a thrilling unknown quantity who could just as easily destroy teams as flop. The new captain Guilhem Guirado looks like a natural leader, and on the bench they have one of the most exciting talents in Europe in the speedy back row Yacouba Camara, who looks like the long-term successor to Thierry Dusautoir.
Italy, with an ageing squad and an outgoing coach, include four debutants themselves, although there is far less buzz about them. Sergio Parisse, somehow, still carries the team on his broad shoulders, and there is some genuine talent in the backs with Leonardo Sarto and Exeter’s in-form Michele Campagnaro, as well as Edoardo Gori at No9. Outside of that though there is very little and, having failed to do so for years now, you wonder how the likes of Lorenzo Cittadini, Francesco Minto and Alessandro Zanni are going to elevate Italy from around the bottom of the pile.
Kick-off for this one is at 2.25pm GMT, or 3.25pm Paris/Rome time. Here are your teams:
France: Maxime Medard; Hugo Bonneval, Gael Fickou, Jonathan Danty, Virimi Vakatawa; Jules Plisson, Sebastien Bezy; Louis Picamoles, Damien Chouly, Wenceslas Lauret; Yoann Maestri, Paul Jedrasiak; Rabah Slimani, Guilhem Guirado (capt), Eddy Ben Arous.
Replacements Camille Chat, Uini Atonio, Jefferson Poirot, Alexandre Flanquart, Yacouba Camara, Maxime Machenaud, Jean-Marc Doussain, 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 Fabio Biagi, 5 Marco Fuser, 6 Francesco Minto; 7 Alessandro Zanni, 8 Sergio Parisse (c).
Replacements: 16 Davide Giazzon, 17 Matteo Zanusso, 18 Martin Castrogiovanni, 19 Valerio Bernabo, 20 Andries Van Schalkwyk, 21 Guglielmo Palazzani, 22 Kelly Haimona, 23 Luke McLean.
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