France ended their home ground jinx when they beat Italy 42-31 in their closing Six Nations match today, but it was still an unimpressive end to a forgettable season for the World Cup finalists. They were lucky not to change ends behind after the Italians went in front with two fine tries in a dominant opening half hour and were a man short when the French scored a fortunate second in the 34th minute.
France, who won the try-count only 5-4 against a team down to 14 men for the last 20 minutes after flanker Walter Cristofoletto was sent off, went 20-17 ahead when fullback Thomas Castaignede chased a kick ahead by wing Emile Ntamack and touched down on the deadball line. But referee Pablo Deluca, the first Argentine to officiate in this Northern Hemisphere Championship, awarded the try and centre Richard Dourthe, who kicked 17 points, converted.
Cristofoletto was in the sin bin for a first offence in the 31st minute when the try, France's second after fly-half Alain Penaud's break in the 26th minute was scored. He was sent off just after the hour for stamping but this did not dampen the Italians' spark.
France opened the scoring through an early penalty by Dourthe but Italy drew level through a drop goal by Diego Dominguez, whose 11 points in his final international took his test tally to 819, the third highest behind Neil Jenkins of Wales and Australia's Michael Lynagh. The Italians, the quicker team in tight play in the early stages, scored the first try when centre Luca Martin, in the scrum-half position after captain Alessandro Troncon was tackled, picked up and darted through under the posts.
France hit back with Penaud's first try and the score was level 10-10, but from the re-start another Italian drive saw Troncon dart over after busy flanker Mauro Bergamasco's surging run at the defence. Dourthe's conversion from Castaignede's try gave France a narrow three-point lead at the interval and this was extended when one of a number of exciting breaks by the fullback set up the forwards for a push in the right corner which ended with captain Fabien Pelous touching down.
Replacement lock Abdel Benazzi, taking a well timed backhanded pass from scrum-half Aubin Hueber, cut inside to add another French try and when Penaud scored again under the posts, the French were 42-17 up with a quarter of an hour still to go. But a mixture of Italian fighting spirit and French profligacy saw the visiting team reduce the arrears by 14 points with tries by wing Nicola Mazzucatto and Troncon's second, both converted by Dominguez.
French coach Bernard Laporte will not have been happy with the ease with which Italy at times pierced his defence, much in the manner of a Brian O'Driscoll inspired Ireland two weeks earlier. Laporte said, "I don't know if I'm relieved it's over, but this tournament has been wearing and difficult".
Argentine-born Dominguez, who confirmed afterwards that it was his last international, was carried off the pitch by his team mates to applause from a 75,000 crowd at the same stadium where he won the French Championship final with his club Stade Francais two years ago.
