Italy 24-29 France: Six Nations champions avoid shock defeat

Matthieu Jalibert came disconnected the seat to people France's 4th effort and gain his broadside victory

Defending champions France came from down to debar a daze decision and bushed Italy successful a thrilling Six Nations game.

The visitors looked comfy acknowledgment to first-half tries by Thibaud Flament, Thomas Ramos and Ethan Dumortier.

But Ange Capuozzo scored earlier Italy were awarded a punishment effort and Tommaso Allan kicked 4 penalties - but the hosts could not bent connected successful Rome.

Victory for France stretches their unbeaten tally to 14 matches aft they won the Grand Slam past year.

They question to Dublin to look satellite fig one-ranked Ireland connected Saturday portion Italy look England astatine Twickenham a time later.

• Subscribe to the Rugby Union Weekly podcast

Winning French mentality prevails

France won each crippled they played successful 2022 and they volition person wanted to commencement the caller twelvemonth with a connection triumph and show with their location World Cup 7 months away.

It started according to the program arsenic Flament latched connected to a escaped Italian walk to tally wide and people the opening effort with an interception.

Ramos was the beneficiary erstwhile Romain Ntamack's intended cross-field footwear for Damian Penaud was palmed backmost to the full-back to dot down for the second.

Ntamack was much close with his adjacent effort astatine kicking wide, measuring his assistance to perfection for Dumortier to assertion the shot without breaking stride and people a effort connected his planetary debut.

Despite being 3 tries behind, Italy were connected the scoreboard courtesy of Allan's boot, and gained reward for their determination to play with dynamism arsenic the breathtaking Capuozzo produced an fantabulous decorativeness to people the hosts' archetypal try.

A punishment effort aft the interval - with erstwhile France skipper Charles Ollivon sent to the misdeed bin successful the process - and different Allan punishment sailing implicit the posts saw Italy instrumentality the pb and endanger to outpouring a immense astonishment connected the opening weekend.

But France are not among the favourites for the World Cup for thing and their winning mentality prevailed arsenic they rallied and got backmost successful beforehand erstwhile replacement Jalibert chopped backmost wrong and powered implicit for his side's 4th try.

The victory, including a hard-earned bonus point, continues France's winning tally and sets them up for what volition surely beryllium a titanic crippled against Ireland.

Italy, meanwhile, volition summation immense assurance from moving the much-vaunted visitors adjacent connected the backmost of beating Australia successful the autumn and volition spell to Twickenham adjacent play expecting to marque beingness precise hard for England.

Line-ups

Italy: Ange Capuozzo; Pierre Bruno, Juan Ignacio Brex, Luca Morisi, Tommaso Menoncello; Tommaso Allan, Stephen Varney; Danilo Fischetti, Giacomo Nicotera, Simone Ferrari, Niccolo Cannone, Federico Ruzza, Sebastian Negri, Michele Lamaro (capt), Lorenzo Cannone.

Replacements: Luca Bigi, Federico Zani, Pietro Ceccarelli, Edoardo Iachizzi, Giovanni Pettinelli, Manuel Zuliani, Alessandro Fusco, Edoardo Padovani.

France: Thomas Ramos; Damian Penaud, Gael Fickou, Yoram Moefana, Ethan Dumortier; Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont (capt); Cyril Baille, Julien Marchand, Uini Atonio, Thibaud Flament, Paul Willemse, Anthony Jelonch, Charles Ollivon, Gregory Alldritt.

Replacements: Gaetan Barlot, Reda Wardi, Sipili Falatea, Romain Taofifenua, Thomas Lavault, Sekou Macalou, Nolann Le Garrec, Matthieu Jalibert.

• Why has Bad Education made a comeback? Jack Whitehall tells each astir the cult sitcom
• Are you successful request of a bully night's sleep? Here are 9 astonishing facts to assistance you amended the prime of your sleep