France maintain Grand Slam dream with Italy win

Men's Six Nations

France (19) 33

Tries: Bielle-Biarrey, Meafou, Ramos, Drean, Gailleton Cons: Ramos 4

Italy (8) 8

Try: Capuozzo Pen: Garbisi

France recorded a bonus-point win against a spirited Italy in Lille to maintain their bid for a Six Nations Grand Slam and back-to-back titles.

Les Bleus raced into a 19-0 lead through tries by Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Emmanuel Meafou and Thomas Ramos, who was a late switch at fly-half after Matthieu Jalibert was ruled out of the game.

Despite the early dominance on the scoreboard, Italy remained competitive and responded through an Ange Capuozzo try and a Paolo Garbisi penalty.

With Louis Lynagh in the sin-bin, debutant Gael Drean grabbed the vital bonus-point try and Emilien Gailleton crossed in a less eventful second half.

The visitors have only beaten France twice in the Six Nations, with the 2024 game ending in a thrilling draw in Lille.

France next travel to Edinburgh to face Scotland on Saturday, 7 March, while Italy host England on the same day.

A bonus-point victory at Murrayfield will not only clinch the title for Fabien Galthie's side but also set up the chance of winning a first Grand Slam in the championship's final match against England.

"I think we always believed we would get the bonus-point win," Meafou told ITV.

"We knew Italy were a strong team, they hung in for 80 minutes, they never cracked and they never let go.

"Our goal is to take out the Six Nations game by game but the end goal is the 2027 World Cup so we keep working towards that."

Gonzalo Quesada's Italy defeated Scotland in the opening round but ran out of steam in the closing stages of the second half against Ireland and Les Bleus.

Italy will now target a first win over an England side who have suffered back-to-back heavy defeats.

France's slick attacking play blew away Ireland and Wales in the opening two rounds to emphatically begin their pursuit of a first Grand Slam since 2022.

Flash tries had the visitors on the back foot early as Antoine Dupont's kick through enabled flyer Bielle-Biarrey to score in a record eighth successive Six Nations game.

Following Meafou's finish from close range, Gailleton's clean break came out of nothing to help set-up Ramos' try.

Two years ago in Lille, the hosts learnt the hard way to not overlook an improving Italy side as Garbisi's injury-time penalty hit the post to deny them a first Six Nations victory in France.

Italy stayed calm in the chaos and should have had one more than Capuozzo's first-half try.

Despite fading in the second half, Italy's scrum - just as it was in Dublin - was a real weapon in the game to win penalties.

Centres Tommaso Menoncello and Leonardo Marin both looked threatening and could cause problems for England's struggling defence.

"The scoreboard is always the truth of the game and we have to go with that," Italy captain Michele Lamaro told ITV.

"France were unbelievably good at taking their opportunities, especially in the first half.

"We couldn't build pressure in the second half and that took us to 70 minutes when we got the yellow card."

The hosts had to work hard for the important fourth try but were never in danger of a shock defeat.

Anything other than a Grand Slam now would feel like a failure for what is a great French side.

France: Attissogbe; Drean, Gailleton, Brau-Boirie, Bielle-Biarrey; Ramos, Dupont (capt); Gros, Marchand, Aldegheri, Flament, Meafou, Cros, Jegou, Jelonch.

Replacements: Mauvaka, Neti, Colombe, Ollivon, Guillard, Nouchi, Serin, Barassi.

Italy: Fischetti; Lynagh, Menoncello, Marin; Ioane; P Garbisi, Fusco; Fischetti, Nicotera, Ferrari, N Cannone, Zambonin, Lamaro (capt), Zuliani, L Cannone.

Replacements: Dimcheff, Spagnolo, Zilocchi, Ruzza, Favretto, Odiase, Garbisi, Odogwu.

Sin-bin: Lynagh (71)

Referee: Andrew Brace (Ire)

Assistant Referees: Luke Pearce (Eng) and Eoghan Cross (Ire)

TMO: Olly Hodges (Ire)