France secured a bonus-point win over Italy in Lille, maintaining their bid for a Six Nations Grand Slam and back-to-back titles. The match ended with a score of 33-8 in favor of France.
Les Bleus took an early lead with tries from Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Emmanuel Meafou, and Thomas Ramos, who was a late switch at fly-half after Matthieu Jalibert was ruled out. Italy responded with a try from Ange Capuozzo and a penalty from Paolo Garbisi.
Despite Italy's competitiveness, France's debutant Gael Drean grabbed the vital bonus-point try, and Emilien Gailleton crossed in the second half. The visitors have only beaten France twice in the Six Nations, with the 2024 game ending in a draw in Lille.
Post-Match Reaction
Emmanuel Meafou told ITV, "I think we always believed we would get the bonus-point win. We knew Italy were a strong team, they hung in for 80 minutes, they never cracked and they never let go."
Meafou added, "Our goal is to take out the Six Nations game by game, but the end goal is the 2027 World Cup, so we keep working towards that." Italy captain Michele Lamaro stated, "The scoreboard is always the truth of the game, and we have to go with that. France were unbelievably good at taking their opportunities, especially in the first half."
Upcoming Matches
France will next travel to Edinburgh to face Scotland on Saturday, 7 March, while Italy host England on the same day. Given France's strength at home, where they will play England in the final game, the next match could define their Grand Slam hopes.
