Champions elect France v Italy live

Code:

France    
15 Brice Dulin
14 Yoann Huget
13 Mathieu Bastareaud
12 Wesley Fofana
11 Hugo Bonneval
10 Jules Plisson
9 Jean-Marc Doussain
1 Thomas Domingo
2 Dimitri Szarzewski
3 Nicolas Mas
4 Pascal Pape
5 Yoann Maestri
6 Yannick Nyanga Kabasele
7 Bernard le Roux
8 Louis Picamoles
Replacements
16 Benjamin Kayser
17 Yannick Forestier
18 Rabah Slimani
19 Sebastien Vahaamahina
20 Damien Chouly
21 Maxime Machenaud
22 Francois Trinh-Duc
23 Gael Fickou

Italy   
15 Luke McLean
14 Tommaso Iannone
13 Michele Campagnaro
12 Gonzalo Garcia
11 Leonardo Sarto
10 Tommaso Allan
9 Edoardo Gori
1 Alberto de Marchi
2 Leonardo Ghiraldini
3 Martin Castrogiovanni
4 Quintin Geldenhuys
5 Joshua Furno
6 Francesco Minto
7 Mauro Bergamasco
8 Sergio Parisse
Replacements
16 Davide Giazzon
17 Michele Rizzo
18 Lorenzo Cittadini
19 Marco Bortolami
20 Alessandro Zanni
21 Tobias Botes
22 Luciano Orquera
23 Angelo Esposito

The result is clear but not the margin.

France by 33 imo

Champions elect France

You do give me a giggle Portnoy.

Nachos Jones wrote:Champions elect France

You do give me a giggle Portnoy.

Did you miss the final qualifier last week, Natch?

This actually has the makings of a good game. France will have their tails up but Italy wont give them and inch. Either a very close match with France winning or a runaway win for France...

Not sure if anyone else is watching but Italy just had a massive defensive scrum on their line. Still 0-0 and France don't look that good in attack to be honest.

France look brutal with the ball.

Italian scrum does look very good.

2 scrums totally destroyed by Italy, good signs for them.

4 penalties and a drop goal missed already

Italy getting pinged a lot but France have a lot of 'lazy' players in and around the ruck area disturbing the Italian defence...

3-0 to France now as a kick has finally been made.

Agree with Jiffy. Yellow.

This has the making of a close game, Italy were very good against Wales, they are no fools.

France are definitely getting some favourable decisions here today. If Italy hadn't committed so many fouls earlier the ref may have shown the yellow card there.

Italy to take the lead here. Is their 13 the Treviso player whose only about 20?

I wish this ref did the Irish Welsh game as he is picking up the going over the ball, shame Italy can't kick.

Lots of poor kicks so far. He should have gotten that

Italy showing some enterprise now. France are not looking that good.

Just watch the French lazy runners (Nyanga especially) constantly interfering with the Italian defence and it still has not been picked up on by the ref.

Parisse not at all happy with the ref there, very easily a Italian penalty ignored...

France defended that maul well. Ireland will have to try something else when they go to Paris

Clearly the french player on the ground tampering with the ball causing the knock on.

Why have a SH ref who obviously dosn't give a dam about the championship. The quality of play may be low, however Piper's performance is shocking.

Well the french don't look like championship material in this match

TJ wrote:Well the french don't look like championship material in this match

They didn't last week either to be honest. England outplayed them.

Very poor quality game here...

Whats the use playing Basteraud and not having him going down Allans channell and committing back rowers?!

Why are we watching Top 14 rugby? The Irish fringe runners are going to have lots of success in the wider channells!

Fair play to Italy, they are using the ball, bringing mclean into first receiver and looking to spread the French forwards.

Fingers crossed Italy get some clean uninteruppted ball and punish a very lacklustre France.

Nachos Jones wrote:

TJ wrote:Well the french don't look like championship material in this match

They didn't last week either to be honest. England outplayed them.

Yeah right   

Big french scrum

TJ wrote:

Nachos Jones wrote:

TJ wrote:Well the french don't look like championship material in this match

They didn't last week either to be honest. England outplayed them.

Yeah right   

Well in my opinion they did outplay the French, even if France won the match. Not really sure why the eyeroll, just expressing my personal opinion.

Try?

France have been doing it all game, just getting in the position to obstruct the French defence...

Did he not crawl on his knees as opposed to placing it? Guess one of those ones you cant complain about too much.

Good finish.

kingjohn7 wrote:Did he not crawl on his knees as opposed to placing it? Guess one of those ones you cant complain about too much.

He placed it straight away so it was a try.

Excellent try now by Fofana, he is so strong. France running away with it now.

Same old Italy, basic mistake after basic mistake. They just don't seem to be improving. What are they gonna do once Parisse retires.

Fofana had no right to score that try, how on earth does he slip these tackles?

Wow where did that come from?

Italy with a few absolute clangers!!!

Game set and match

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Same old Italy, basic mistake after basic mistake. They just don't seem to be improving. What are they gonna do once Parisse retires.

Build an actual team that functions as a unit rather then spend 80 mins hoping Parisse does it all for them? I read similar about SOB's effect on Ireland and how the backrow looked better (or more visible) when he wasn't there. Similar for Italy I think the other guys will be more visible without him.

TJ wrote:Well the french don't look like championship material in this match

What did I say?

Interesting that the Italian jersey isn't skin tight like the other teams. Does it give them a bit of a disadvantage? More material to grab hold of?

Nachos Jones wrote:

TJ wrote:

Nachos Jones wrote:

TJ wrote:Well the french don't look like championship material in this match

They didn't last week either to be honest. England outplayed them.

Yeah right   

Well in my opinion they did outplay the French, even if France won the match. Not really sure why the eyeroll, just expressing my personal opinion.

Try?

Opinions - Ok - but as a neutral it is ridiculous to say england outplayed them

That's unfortunate for Italy. Too desperate to force something and an intercept leads to the try.

The flair is back, Fofana two touches of the ball and look

yappysnap wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Same old Italy, basic mistake after basic mistake. They just don't seem to be improving. What are they gonna do once Parisse retires.

Build an actual team that functions as a unit rather then spend 80 mins hoping Parisse does it all for them? I read similar about SOB's effect on Ireland and how the backrow looked better (or more visible) when he wasn't there. Similar for Italy I think the other guys will be more visible without him.

They're already visible and they ain't up to it. Castrogiovani should also think about calling it a day. He ain't getting any younger and everytime he's on the ground he needs his team mates to get him up - that's not the future.

   

Fofana is just one of those rugby players who are pure class. Such a swift and elusive runner with a strong core. Standout 12 in world rugby methinks

Much better second half from France. Could be a hammering yet

What a try.

ALPanorak wrote:Fofana is just one of those rugby players who are pure class. Such a swift and elusive runner with a strong core. Standout 12 in world rugby methinks

+1

TJ wrote:

Nachos Jones wrote:

TJ wrote:

Nachos Jones wrote:

TJ wrote:Well the french don't look like championship material in this match

They didn't last week either to be honest. England outplayed them.

Yeah right   

Well in my opinion they did outplay the French, even if France won the match. Not really sure why the eyeroll, just expressing my personal opinion.

Try?

Opinions - Ok - but as a neutral it is ridiculous to say england outplayed them

I am a neutral, I am an Irish fan. Its my opinion and I stand by it. If you don't agree then fine, counter it in a mature way instead of a childish emoticon.

SecretFly wrote:

yappysnap wrote:

LeinsterFan4life wrote:Same old Italy, basic mistake after basic mistake. They just don't seem to be improving. What are they gonna do once Parisse retires.

Build an actual team that functions as a unit rather then spend 80 mins hoping Parisse does it all for them? I read similar about SOB's effect on Ireland and how the backrow looked better (or more visible) when he wasn't there. Similar for Italy I think the other guys will be more visible without him.

They're already visible and they ain't up to it.  Castrogiovani should also think about calling it a day.  He ain't getting any younger and everytime he's on the ground he needs his team mates to get him up - that's not the future.

Agree about Castro.

I just think that when the big names retire there won't be a drop off from the already admittedly mediocre game that they play. The team will just graft harder between themselves rather then wait for a couple of guys to do the work. That graft isn't going to suddenly win the 6N's or anything but they'll still manage to beat Scotland every other year etc.