RBS 6 Nations preview: France v Italy

By Tadhg Peavoy

Email: Tadhg.Peavoy@rte.ie

In 2011, at the 12th attempt, Italy beat France for the first time ever in an RBS 6 Nations match. That victory was earmarked as a turning point in the history of Italian rugby: the Azzurri were lauded as a team that were finally closing the gap between themselves and the big nine teams of international rugby.

The defeat for France was chastening and symbolic of the erratic nature of Les Bleus under Marc Lièvremont – a side that oscillated between brilliant displays and brutally bad performances.

Italy came from 18-6 behind to defeat France 22-21 in last year's RBS 6 Nations

Much rugby has been played since Italy’s 22-21 victory at Stadio Flaminio, Rome, on 12 March 2011. Italy’s Rugby World Cup threatened to be a breakthrough for them as they genuinely believed there was a chance they could reach the quarter-finals of the tournament for the first time. However, despite dogged forty-minute displays against Australia and Ireland, the Azzurri failed to deliver 80-minute performances and were worn down by superior tactical play in the second periods and were left fighting off scraps of possession.

France also threatened to have a RWC breakthrough by winning the Webb Ellis trophy outright for the first time. Ironically, much like Italy, Lièvremont’s team often lived off scraps of possession in their pool matches, most notably against New Zealand and Tonga – games which they lost. They also struggled for long periods of their quarter-final and semi-final clashes with England and Wales respectively. The crucial difference was that when France had the ball they used it creatively and incisively enough to cut holes in their opposition. This was never more in evidence then when France captain Thierry Dusautoir cut through the All Blacks defence in the tournament’s final. France lost that final by the narrowest of margins after playing all the rugby as the New Zealand defence held firm.

France captain Thierry Dusautoir was named 2011 IRB International Player of the Year

As a result of that remarkable run to the RWC final, France come into this year’s 6 Nations as the pre-tournament favourites. Only this time they have a new head coach in Philippe Saint-André, who unlike Lièvremont, is being touted as man capable of moulding France into a side that can regularly deliver performances as good as a their teamsheet suggests. Saint-André has earmarked consistency as the key to turning France from nearly the world’s best to top of the pile. RBS 6 Nations consistency starts with convincing homes wins against Italy – Azzurri beware.

Saint-André has opted for experience over experimentation for his first game in charge, with his team loaded with the stars that came so close to landing France the World Cup title; 11 players in the starting team played in the RWC final.

France head coach Philippe Saint-André was capped 69 times for France and is their all-time leading try scorer with 32

The France backline is bursting with talent, with 15 to 9 all capable of moments of genius. The one variable is first centre Wesley Fofana, who makes his debut for France. The 24-year-old Clermont Auvergne player has been tipped for a glittering international career and this is his first bite of the cherry.

Italy’s RWC performances can be split into two camps: solid but unspectacular displays against Australia and Ireland; or flair-driven, off-the-cuff displays against Russia and the USA. When Italy were creative, the fulcrum of their attack was number eight Sergio Parisse. The Argentine-born back rower’s marauding runs and handling skills are phenomenal and he will be expected to be at the centre of Italy’s potency on Saturday. The problem in the World Cup was that he lacked enough top-tier allies to compliment his skills.

Like France, Italy have a new coach in Frenchman Jacques Brunel.

Italy coach Jacques Brunel was France forwards coach from 2001 until 2007

He, like many an Italy coach before him, has decreed that flair in the back division will be the elixir that pushes the Italians into nose-bleed territory in the 6 Nations table. Uncapped Giovambattista Venditti is preferred to Gonzalo Canale on the wing, but the rest of the backline contains a line-up of the usual suspects. Up front, the pack contains the standard hard-nosed edge which challenges every other Test-playing nation in the scrum and at the breakdown. The front row of Andrew Lo Cicero, Leonardo Ghiraldini and Martin Castrogiovanni is particularly fearsome.

Brunel’s starting XV leads one to conclude that Italy’s catalyst for change will not come from who uses the ball, but instead, how they decide to use it.

Prediction: France 36-17 Italy

France v Italy, RBS 6 Nations, Stade de France, Paris, Saturday 4 February, kick-off 2.30pm.

France: 15 Maxime Medard 14 Vincent Clerc 13 Aurelien Rougerie 12 Wesley Fofana 11 Julien Malzieu 10 Francois Trinh-Duc 9 Dmitiri Yachvili 1 Vincent Debaty 2 William Servat 3 Nicolas Mas 4 Pascal Pape 5 Lionel Nallet 6 Thierry Dusautoir (captain) 7 Julien Bonnaire 8 Louis Picamoles.

Replacements: 16 Dimitri Szarzweski 17 Jean-Baptiste Poux 18 Yoan Maestri 19 Imanol Harinordoquy 20 Morgan Parra 21 Lionel Beauxis 22 Maxime Mermoz.

Italy: 15 Andrea Masi 14 Giovanbattista Venditti 13 Tommaso Benvenuti 12 Alberto Sgarbi 11 Luke Mclean 10 Kris Burton
9 Edoardo Gori 1 Andrew Lo Cicero 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini 3 Martin Castrogiovanni 4 Cornelius Van Zyl 5 Quintin Geldenhuys 6 Alessandro Zanni 7 Robert Barbieri 8 Sergio Parisse (captain).

Replacements: 16 Tommaso D'Apice 17 Lorenzo Cittadini 18 Marco Bortolami 19 Simone Favaro 20 Fabio Semenzato 21 Tobias Botes 22 Gonzalo Canale.

Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales).