FRA
No.Name
15Hugo Bonneval, FB
T
14Benjamin Fall, W
13Mathieu Bastareaud, C
T
12Geoffrey Doumayrou, C
11Remy Grosso, W
10Lionel Beauxis, FH
9Maxime Machenaud, SH
5
1Jefferson Poirot, P
2Guilhem Guirado, H
3Rabah Slimani, P
4Paul Gabrillagues, L
T
5Sebastien Vahaamahina, L
6Wenceslas Lauret, FL
7Yacouba Camara, FL
8Marco Tauleigne, N8
Replacements
16Adrien Pelissie, R
17Dany Priso, R
18Cedate Gomes Sa, R
19Romain Taofifenua, R
20Kelian Galletier, R
21Baptiste Couilloud, R
22Francois Trinh-Duc, R
23Gael Fickou, R

*Players currently on the pitch are shown in bold

Game Info

Venue: Orange Velodrome
8:00 PM, February 23, 2018
All CommentaryKey Events

Match Commentary

81'+234-17 End of second half
81'+2Yellow card - Luca Bigi , Italy
80'Try as they might for a fourth try, France come up short. They have won, but mainly due to the force of Bastareaud who was absolutely unstoppable tonight.
79'34-17 Conversion - Carlo Canna , Italy
79'34-15 Try - Matteo Minozzi , Italy
78'TRY - Out of nothing, Italy get in for their second try. Minozzi gets in and Italy go 60 metres from their own lineout and some more respectability on the scoreline.
75'The intensity is gone, the ambition is gone and the crowd is counting down for the game to end. It hasn't been pretty.
74'Italy's discipline is now completely gone. The first ruck after the restart and they concede another penalty.
74'34-10 Conversion - Francois Trinh-Duc , France
73'32-10 Try - Mathieu Bastareaud , France
72'TRY - Italy edge forward but Gori just lumps the ball forward and France are on the attack. Grosso brings them to within five metres within the line. The ball comes back to Bastareaud and he barges over.
71'Player substituted - Tommaso Allan , Italy
71'Substitute on - Carlo Canna , Italy
71'Substitute on - Federico Ruzza , Italy
71'Player substituted - Sebastian Negri , Italy
71'Substitute on - Cedate Gomes Sa , France
71'Player substituted - Rabah Slimani , France
71'Player substituted - Guilhem Guirado , France
71'Substitute on - Adrien Pelissie , France
71'Player substituted - Lionel Beauxis , France
71'Substitute on - Francois Trinh-Duc , France
71'Player substituted - Maxime Machenaud , France
71'Substitute on - Baptiste Couilloud , France
71'27-10 Penalty goal - Maxime Machenaud , France
69'We come back for the penalty as Beauxis gives a ball out the back without looking and Italy get their hands on it. Penalty for France. They take a kick at goal and the boos ring around Marseille.
68'Lineout for France, Guirado sends it in, they gather and Basta goes flying through the Italian defence. France could rack up a few points here if they are up for it or if they can show a bit of class.
68'Player substituted - Leonardo Ghiraldini , Italy
68'Substitute on - Luca Bigi , Italy
67'France win the penalty. Italy and Sergio Parisse look absolutely shot as Beauxis kicks down the line.
66'Player substituted - Sebastien Vahaamahina , France
66'Substitute on - Romain Taofifenua , France
66'Player substituted - Geoffrey Doumayrou , France
66'Substitute on - Gael Fickou , France
65'France gather the restart and kick down to Parisse. Italy are over halfway, but lack any ability to cut France open here.
65'24-10 Penalty goal - Maxime Machenaud , France
64'Well Machenaud is going to have a kick at goal after another penalty against Italy. The level of discipline has been incredibly poor throughout.
63'Substitute on - Jayden Hayward , Italy
63'Player substituted - Tommaso Boni , Italy
62'Huge concern over Sergio Parisse who goes down clutching his shoulder. The game will restart now with a lineout to France in the Italy half.
62'Substitute on - Tiziano Pasquali , Italy
62'Player substituted - Simone Ferrari , Italy
61'Player substituted - Jefferson Poirot , France
61'Substitute on - Dany Priso , France
61'21-10 Conversion - Maxime Machenaud , France
60'19-10 Try - Hugo Bonneval , France
59'TRY France turn the ball over once again, the story of the night really. They are up to the Italian 10 metre line. Bastareaud barges forward, fending off three before finding Hugo Bonneval. The ball goes back and forth between he and Remy Grosso and Bonneval touches down to score.
57'After the lineout France struggle to make any headway and Machenaud kicks the ball dead on halfway.
57'Player substituted - Andrea Lovotti , Italy
57'Substitute on - Nicola Quaglio , Italy
57'Substitute on - Kelian Galletier , France
57'Player substituted - Yacouba Camara , France
56'Out of nothing Italy break inside the French 22, with Nergri making a 30 yard break, but the ball is slowed down at the breakdown and Lauret wins the penalty for France. It has been a very frustrating night for Italy.
54'The decision making of Jacques Brunel to bring in the likes of Benjamin Fall, Remy Grosse has to be questioned. They have shown nothing, Bastareaud has been his battering-ram self. But nothing else has been shown by Les Bleus.
52'After a few reset scrums, Fall takes it for France and he knocks the ball on.
50'Bastareaud tries to make an outside break and it is a complete waste of his talents. Not exactly a speedster.
50'Italy cough up possession from the lineout and France look to attack. The ball goes forward off Bastareaud. France have shown nothing, Italy have just shown that little bit less in Marseille.
50'14-10 Penalty goal - Tommaso Allan , Italy
49'Allan points towards the posts and he's going to have a kick at goal while the crowd boo.
49'Substitute on - Edoardo Gori , Italy
49'Player substituted - Marcello Violi , Italy
48'Italy take the ball in the lineout and Mbanda takes it on. They are over the French 10 metre line and Parisse gets floored off the ball and Italy win the penalty.
47'And Italy's problems just get worse and worse. They lose the ball on their own lineout and France escape.
46'Penalty Italy. Tommaso Allan drills the ball into the corner.
46'14-7 Penalty goal - Maxime Machenaud , France
45'Italy win the lineout and they get the drive on.
45'Drop goal-missed
44'That is absolutely awful from France. Brutal. France carry the ball back into their 22, Wayne Barnes shouts that they have and they kick it out of play. Lineout Italy 10 metres from the French line.
43'France edge forward, with a penalty advantage and Beauxis takes a drop at goal, it goes wide and France will have a kick at goal from the penalty. Machenaud takes the tee and lines it up again.
42'Quick ball by Italy and they kick to touch just outside their 22.
41'And Italy gift it to France, two passes puts Beauxis into the gap, and they blow it again. It is touched by the covering Italian winger but France knock on. Italy scrum.
41'We are back underway in France and Italy will look to get their act together. They have handed France every chance to win this.
41'Player substituted - Adrien Pelissie , France
41'Substitute on - Guilhem Guirado , France
41'11-7 End of first half
40'
40'11-7 Start of second half
40'11-7 Penalty goal - Maxime Machenaud , France
39'Machenaud line it up and edges France further in front.
39'Substitute on - Adrien Pelissie , France
39'Player substituted - Guilhem Guirado , France
38'Italy give away the penalty, five metres from their own line. Turnover for France and Benjamin Fall kicks through, Allan goes down but doesn't release. Penalty for France.
36'Forwards inching forward. Allan puts boot to ball and Beauxis takes the ball and calls the mark. Poor execution the name of the game in this first-half in Marseille.
36'Ferrari takes the ball forward, the prop living up to his name.
35'Beauxis and Benvenuti trade kicks and Italy run it up to halfway.
34'Italy lose the lineout. Conor O'Shea must be very disappointed. Whenever they get some breathing space, Italy hand possession back.
34'Substitute on - George Fabio Biagi , Italy
34'Player substituted - Dean Budd , Italy
33'Barnes gives the penalty after a quick 22 is stopped by Benjamin Fall and Italy have the lineout inside the France half.
33'Brunel sends his forwards for a run around. He might think of a few subs. It might help liven things up here.
32'France up to the Italy 22 through Hugo Bonneval. Italy concede the penalty. Quickly taken, tap and go and France are inches from the line. A kick through, penalty advantage is over, and Italy touch down for a 22 drop out. Crazy stuff in Marseille. The crowd are unimpressed.
31'France goes left, Machenaud to Beauxis and Grosso leads the charge but they lose the ball and Italy take possession and then lose it again. It hasn't been pretty.
30'Machenaud feeds, and the scrum goes down. Reset.
29'The restart goes out on the full. That is awful. Italy under so much pressure and France get the put in to the scrum on halfway.
29'8-7 Penalty goal - Maxime Machenaud , France
27'Penalty advantage and we come back for the penalty. Machenaud will have a kick at goal with a few boos in Marseille.
26'Guirado throws and France have it and edge forward. Machenaud takes it, gives Bastareaud the ball and he's stopped, just about. Lauret the next to be stopped.
25'So we restart with the lineout. Italy run it through Violi and France win the penalty. Violi dives on the ball and France kick to the corner once again through Beauxis.
24'There is a push, a shove and the Wayne Barnes has a chat with the TMO.
24'Absolutely rubbish from Italy, they cough up possession again and Grosso goes running down the left touchline, and is pushed out of play shy of the Italy 22.
23'Italy kick and France try to run it out of their own 22 before kicking out just outside the 22.
22'Italy inching forward after the scrum, Boni, Budd, the ball is spread wide and Italy are going nowhere at the moment.
20'France are absolutely abysmal but Italy knock the ball on through Parisse but it is their scrum after France knocked it on first.
19'Parisse wins the lineout after Machenaud needlessly kicks it out.
18'A huge sigh of disbelief from the French crowd and Italy run the ball back up to halfway. How France did not score there, not sure anyone knows.
17'France up and past the Italian 10 metre line, the Italian 22 and Grosso inches forward.
17'Awful box kick and France take it in the air through Fall.
16'Slimani and Guirado inch forward. Ohhhhh absolute stupidity by Bastareaud for being off his feet and Italy win the penalty. Tommaso Allan kicks Italy back to halfway.
15'France have a penalty advantage as they edge forward. Quick ball, quick ball sees France almost up to the Italian 22. Quick thinking from Beauxis puts them within 10 metres of the Italian line.
14'Camara takes in the lineout, quick ball sends Bastareaud crashing into the poor Italian defence.
14'France win the penalty at the scrum and Beauxis kicks Les Bleus up to the Italian 10 metre line.
12'We are back underway, with no conversion needed for the penalty try and Sergio Parisse knocks the ball on. Scrum Italy.
11'Well not so fast, we are going upstairs. Wayne Barnes goes upstairs and their is no clear grounding. Barnes gives a penalty try with the TMO saying their is an illegal collapse. They can't identify the number but it is a penalty try.
10'TRY - Italy claim possession and the maul edges forward. France fail to stop the maul and the Italian pack march over the line through Maxime Mbanda.
10'5-7 Penalty try
8'Italy win the penalty from the French lineout and Tommaso Allan kicks to the corner.
7'Clever move by Italy between Leonardo Ghiraldini and Sergio Parisse but they cough up possession on the next phase. French lineout inside their own 22.
7'France gather inside their own 22 and Geoffrey Doumayrou clears but only clears five metres outside his own 22. Lineout Italy.
6'Machenaud slices the conversion across goal and wide. Very poor.
5'TRY - Camara takes in the lineout they drive forward and it is captain Guirado who is held short and Paul Gabrillagues goes over.
5'5-0 Try - Paul Gabrillagues , France
3'We go back for the penalty, as nothing was coming. Lionel Beauxis takes the ball and kicks for the corner.
3'Another penalty as Bastareud takes it on. The ball goes wide Camara feeds Benjamin Fall and they are 10 metres from the Italian line.
2'Machenaud kicks inside the Italian half. Guirado sends the lineout in and the pack drive forward.
2'Italy need to take advantage when they are in the French half or this will be a very long night.
1'Mathieu Bastareaud is back and wins the first penalty.
1'Italy struggling to keep ball in hand, it goes to ground but backwards both times says Wayne Barnes. They are up to the French 10 metre line.
1'France look to run from their own 22 and Geoffrey Doumayrou is put to ground. They go back and the first kick down field is quickly run back by Italy.
1'We are underway in Marseille as Tommaso Allan sends it long into the French 22.
1'The hairs stand up on the back of your neck as La Marseillaise rings around Orange Velodrome. The anthems are done, the setting is Marseille and the third round of the Six Nations is about to get under way.
1'Hands on hearts, Inno di Mameli being belted out by the Italian players. Could this be the night to end their Six Nations drought in France?
1'An electric atmosphere as fireworks welcome the teams out onto the pitch. French flags being waved but should tonight not go their way, Allez Les Bleus cheers could very quickly turn to boos.
1'Beautiful Marseille is the setting, a victory for either team will ease pressure and the coin toss gets the night's proceedings underway.
1'0-0 Start of first half

Six Nations Championship 2018 News