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Bielle-Biarrey (3'), Meafou (14'), Ramos (28'), Drean (71'), Gailleton (76')
Tries
Capuozzo (31')
Ramos (4', 29', 71', 77')
Conversions
Penalties
Garbisi (39')
Italy were unable to repeat their heroics from their draw in Lille two years ago as they lost 33-8 to France at the Stade Metropole in Round 3 of the Guinness Men’s Six Nations.
Ange Capuozzo scored a try and Paolo Garbisi knocked over a penalty, and while they kept France from scoring from the 29th minute to the 71st, they were unable to add any points in the second half.
The Azzurri now have two weeks before they welcome England to Rome, and a chance to get a campaign that started off positively, back on track.
Here’s ATR’s view of Italy’s performance…
Louis Loses It
For over half the match, Italy stopped France from adding to their scoreline. It meant Les Bleus were looking at ending without a four-try bonus point for the first time this Championship, and meant an Italy try would give them a losing bonus point.
Then Louis Lynagh flicked a hand at a Baptiste Serin pass that was heading towards Louis Bielle-Biarrey with only covering prop Mirco Spagnolo to beat. The loose-head may well have hauled the French flyer down, but the probability would have been Bielle-Biarrey’s second try of the match.
A yellow card followed to leave Gonzalo Quesada’s side with 14 men till fulltime. Maybe the dam would have broken then, maybe it wouldn’t, but certainly the two tries that France did score in the last five minutes came after they identified the gap on the wing and ruthlessly exploited it.
Lynagh’s flick showed he realised he had erred by not staying on his wing, when he should have trusted his teammates. It is his second of the Championship after an early yellow against Ireland. While it would be hard to single him out, Paolo Odogwu is waiting in the wings, and his promotion might be a reminder to Lynagh and the rest of the team to keep their heads when the pressure comes.
Vary The Script
Italy didn’t really do a great deal in attack. They weren’t helped that when they got into good field position from penalties, their lineouts were wayward. Sixty-three percent lineout success isn’t good enough.
They were often isolated, and when they did build some momentum, they ran into a solid wall of solid specimens in the French defence. Only Capuozzo with 15, and Lorenzo Cannone with 10, were in the top 10 for carries.
Their big failing was not being able to turn the French defence. Yes, it is laudable that they want to keep the ball in hand, but when that isn’t working the type of grubbers that Juan Ignacio Brex used against Scotland to set Louis Lynagh up for their first try of the Championship is the sort of weapon you need.
Chances Taken
Hats off to Capuozzo for his quick reactions to realise the ball had squirted out of a ruck and lay there ready for him to dive on.
By then they should have scored their first after Leonardo Marin and Capuozzo combined to set Lynagh running. Alessandro Fusco was on his shoulder, but he took contact and promptly gave away a penalty for continuing to roll after being tackled. Thereafter that was that.
Their inability to trouble the French defence in any facet, not helped by their aforementioned lineout issues, will give Gonzalo Quesada plenty to ponder. While England will be licking their wounds, they are the one team that Italy haven’t beaten since joining the Championship in 2000, and they will be more desperate than ever to preserve that record.
Matching Eight
Italy’s biggest positive was again their scrum. If there were any questions about, then they have been fully answered against a pack that most rate second best in the world, behind South Africa.
They weren’t flawless with an 86 percent record from eight scrums, but how often does a team reduce France’s success rate to 78 percent?
There best moments came either side of halftime when two huge efforts, one led by tighthead Simone Ferrari and the other by loosehead Danilo Fischetti, won penalties from a scrum, with France tighthead Dorian Aldegheri looking bewildered on both occasions.
While attacking lineouts went awry, they twice stopped France’s rolling maul from gathering momentum, the second time when the backs piled in to add their nous and ballast. The basics are there, now they need a little more composure, because we know there is a fine attacking side waiting to break out.
Player Ratings
15 Ange Capuozzo 8, 14 Louis Lynagh 5, 13 Tommaso Menoncello 6, 12 Leonardo Marin 6, 11 Monty Ioane 6, 10 Paolo Garbisi 7, 9 Alessandro Fusco 7, 8 Lorenzo Cannone 7, 7 Manuel Zuliani 7, 6 Michele Lamaro 7, 5 Andrea Zambonin 6, 4 Niccolo Cannone 7, 3 Simone Ferrari 7, 2 Giacomo Nicotera 6, 1 Danillo Fischetti 7
Replacements
16 Pablo Dimcheff 6, 17 Mirco Spagnolo 6, 18 Giosuè Zilocchi 6, 19 Federico Ruzza 7, 20 Riccardo Favretto 7, 21 Davide Odiase 6, 22 Alessandro Garbisi 6, 23 Paolo Odogwu 5
