The third round of Six Nations matches culminate at the Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille, with France hoping to continue their recent dominance over Italy.
Les Bleus have not had the best start to this season's Six Nations, putting in a forgettable performance midway through a 38-17 defeat to Ireland in the Championship opener in Marseille. They won by a narrow margin of 20-16. Murrayfield, Scotland.
Although the match ended in controversial circumstances, it was somewhat fortunate that the latter result resulted in a victory. Scotland substitute second row Sam Skinner thought he had grounded the ball over the try line to secure a famous victory for the home side, but match officials decided not to award them the match-deciding try. Decided.
Despite the victory, head coach Fabien Galthie was under pressure after being eliminated in the quarter-finals of last year's World Cup and then losing at home to Ireland.
And a convincing win against the Azzurri will appease Les Bleus supporters. But it's easier said than done and Italy showed signs of improvement after another forgettable World Cup season under new head coach Gonzalo Quesada, as they suffered a narrow 27-24 loss to England in Rome in the Six Nations. Because you're playing against a team. opener.
However, all the gains from that game were torn apart in the next game against Ireland when he failed to get a shot on goal in a 36-0 defeat in Dublin.
The two countries will be competing for the Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy, with France dominating the competition having won 45 of the 48 previous meetings between the two teams, with Italy winning three times.
The last time the Azzurri won was in Rome in 2013, after which they lost the next 14 Tests against Les Bleus, a statistic they desperately want to change on Sunday. thinking.
What will happen in the battle?
There are several key areas that will be crucial in the grand scheme of things, such as the play of the forwards, particularly set pieces and breakdown battles, as they will have a huge impact on the outcome of this game. Heading into this year's Championship, Les Bleus were considered one of the best teams in the field up front, but last time out against Ireland and Scotland they did little to convince in that department. Similarly, Italy failed to impress the world against England, especially against Ireland, where they struggled from start to finish.
However, both teams have the ability to wreak havoc when they have the ball in their hands. The Azzurri are known for their enterprising play, a tactic adopted under the guidance of former manager Kieran Crowley and continued under new manager Quesada. Please expect Les Bleus' defense to improve. But France's defensive system, led by Shaun Edwards, has been among the best in the business for some time now, and after an off day in which they conceded five tries against Ireland, Ben White's goal against Scotland brought them closer to their best. Ta. 'Just give it a try. Defense could be the deciding factor in this game, and Italy will have to show significant improvement in that area if they want to pull off an upset.
The last time we met
what they said was
Les Bleus have had the upper hand against the Azzurri all year in this match, but Galthie is wary of an opponent who could cause an upset.
“They're going to want to play their best rugby,” he said. “But so will we. There is no team more demanding than us.”
Meanwhile, Azzurri coach Quesada is keen for his team to start fresh after defeats to England and Ireland.
“Every match is a new opportunity to continue on the path of development. We know how the last match went, so it was beneficial to work on certain areas of the match,” he said. said.
“We want to show the best version of ourselves. We have heart, character and determination. All these traits will be on the field playing against a team that is strong both tactically and physically. It must be demonstrated.”
Featured players
He may only be 19 years old, but Posolo Tuilagi He has shown maturity beyond his years and will be hoping to continue his impressive form in his first start at international level. The giant in the second row is the son of former Samoa international No. 8 Henry and England star center Manu's nephew, and it will be a tall order to follow, but he made energetic cameos from the bench against Ireland and Scotland. He has appeared and shows high expectations. He will be hoping to continue his good performance against Italy.
Meanwhile, due to an injury to No. 8 Gregory Aldritt, the captain and first choice. François Clos Move from your normal flank position to the base of the scrum. Cross is known for his excellent groundwork, and while that aspect of his game will still be important, his defensive work and ball-carrying skills will also be important – especially the latter, which teams need in attack. It is hoped that this will give momentum.
Another youngster who has impressed for France at Test level is the 20-year-old winger. Louis Vier BierleyHe showed his class with a superb try-winning cross in France's second-round win over Scotland. Although he is not the biggest winger, the Bordeaux Bagels speedster is blessed with quick feet and enough pace that Italy cannot afford to spend too much time on the ball.
😱 The best chips from Louis Vier Bialley @France Rugby Go ahead 🙌#Guinness M6N #scofla pic.twitter.com/6jOjn1XXrL
— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 10, 2024
Visitors pay attention to the young outside back Tommaso Menoncello, Federico Mori started, joining Juan Ignacio Brex in midfield, shifting from inside center to right wing. Menoncello didn't do much in attack in the last game against Italy, but he proved to be a real asset to England's defense in the first leg. The 21-year-old finished the match with a match-high 80 meters with 11 runs, including two clean breaks and beating five defenders. He could be shifted out wide, but if he finds himself in space when attacking, he could test the French defense.
On the other hand, there will be a lot of pressure on the rookie back row duo. Ross Vincent and Riccardo Fablet, both will be playing in their second international tournament. They wear big boots as they enter the Azzurri's run-on side at No. 8 and Bound side respectively. These slots are usually filled by injured Lorenzo Cannone and Sebastian Negri. Exeter's Vincent Chief made his Test debut off the bench against Ireland, while Benetton's Fabretto, who usually plays at lock, played in his only previous game for Italy, the 2021 Six Nations. If Italy want to surprise the hosts, the rookie duo will have to work with captain Michele Lamaro to be at their best from the start.
main match
In most matches, there is little direct contact between the two full-backs, but the battle between the French full-backs is thomas ramos and italian Ange Capozzo It pits two of the game's best No. 15s against each other. Both are outstanding attackers with the ability to change the course of a match with a moment of brilliance.
Ramos also has the ability to influence the game with his kicking ability, both inside and outside the goal, and is expected to give his team an advantage and prevent them from conceding goals with big clearance kicks from the back and accurate goal kicks. There is. The scoreboard is ticking for Les Bleus. Capozzo is not a threat from a tee, but he is certainly a threat with the ball in his hands and will be keen to test the French defense. Adding spice to this showdown is the fact that Ramos and Capozzo ply their trade in the top 14 at Toulouse. Ramos is the first choice for the No. 15 there, while Capozzo has mainly moved to the wing or been relegated to the bench and will be keen to show his side to the club. The selectors insisted that he should start in his preferred position at the back.
prediction
France have yet to reach the heights they reached in the build-up to last year's World Cup at home, but they will go into this match with plenty of confidence against the Azzurri, who are also regular participants in the Six Nations. Dew. The Azzurri will be hoping to improve their performance against Ireland, but they will not be able to play the full 80 minutes against Les Bleus and the hosts will likely pull away in the final quarter. France won by 20 points.
past results
2023: France wins 60-7 at Lyon
2023: France beat Roma 29-24
2022: France won 37-10 in Paris.
2021: France beat Roma 50-10
2020: France won 36-5 in Paris.
2020: France won 35-22 in Paris.
2019: France won 47-19 in Paris.
2019: France beat Roma 25-14
team
France: 15 Thomas Ramos, 14 Damien Penault, 13 Gaël Ficou, 12 Jonathan Danti, 11 Louis Biel Bierley, 10 Mathieu Jalibert, 9 Maxime Roux, 8 François Clos, 7 Charles Ollibon (c), 6 Paul Boudean, 5 Posolo Tuilange, 4 Cameron Woki, 3 Wini Atonio, 2 Pete Mauvaka, 1 Cyril Baille.
Replacement: 16 Julien Marchand, 17 Sebastian Taofifenua, 18 Dorian Aldegueri, 19 Romain Taofifenua, 20 Alexandre Luma, 21 Esteban Abadi, 22 Nolan Le Garrec, 23 Yoram Moefana
Italy: 15 Ange Capozzo, 14 Tommaso Menoncello, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex, 12 Federico Mori, 11 Monti Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Martin Paje Lillo, 8 Ross Vincent, 7 Michele Ramaro (c ), 6 Riccardo Fabret, 5 Federico Luzza, 4 Niccolo Cannone, 3 Giosue Girocchi, 2 Giacomo Nicotera, 1 Danilo Fischetti
Replacement: 16 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 17 Mirco Spagnuolo, 18 Simone Ferrari, 19 Matteo Canali, 20 Andrea Zambonin, 21 Manuel Zuliani, 22 Steven Varney, 23 Leonardo Marin
date: Sunday, February 25th
venue: Stade Pierre Mauroy (Lille)
kick off: Local time 16:00 (GMT15:00)
Referee: Christoph Ridley (UK)
Assistant referee: Matthew Curley (England), Craig Evans (Wales)
TMO: Ian Tempest (England)
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