France 33-8 Italy: Les Bleus largely off-colour but hold off Azzurri efforts to maintain Six Nations Grand Slam bid

Thomas Ramos was shifted to fly-half with Matthieu Jalibert out injured and scored one of five France tries

⁠A largely off-colour France held off the threat of Italy to eventually kick on and seal a 33-8 bonus-point Six Nations win over Italy and remain unbeaten. 

Wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey, lock Emmanuel Meafou, fly-half Thomas Ramos, debutant wing Gael Drean and centre Emilien Gailleton scored for France - the third try coming firmly against the run of play and fourth only arriving with eight minutes remaining.

Italy scored through an Ange Capuozzo try and Paolo Garbisi penalty, but despite a wealth of possession, territory and scrum dominance, a woeful lineout halted their attempts to fight back at 19-8 behind time and again.

When the Azzurri lost Louis Lynagh to a late sin-binning and Capuozzo to injury - reducing them to 13 - France inflated the scoreboard late on with scores in the final stages.

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Towering France lock Emmanuel Meafou was also on the scoreboard and named player of the match

France took the lead early as captain ⁠Antoine Dupont's kick in behind the Italian defence allowed Bielle-Biarrey to chase and score for a record-breaking eighth Six Nations game in a ‌row.

French full-back Theo Attissogbe and Italian winger Lynagh duelled on the halfway line under an Italian high kick, with Lynagh knocking it back where Dupont collected the ball before kicking ‌it on.

Louis Bielle-Biarrey made history by becoming the first player to score in eight Six Nations matches in succession

The second try came in the 15th minute as France drove at the Italian line with Ramos and then Drean stopped metres from the try-line, before Meafou used his power to go over and score his first Test try.

The lead was stretched in the 29th ⁠minute as a poor throw from Giacomo Nicotera in front of the ​French 22-metre line allowed Gailleton to pounce on the loose ball ​and try to break before passing inside to Ramos, who dived over in ​the corner.

Ramos' try for France came totally against the run of play and pushed them 19-0 ahead

Italy reduced the gap before the break as Ramos and then Attissogbe were ⁠snagged in front of their own try line with the ball spilling for Capuozzo to react quickest and touch down with a cheeky touch.

It took until eight minutes from the end for France ⁠to get a fourth try with Ramos kicking out ​to his right wing, where Drean went over in the right corner - Italy were down two backs during the play.

Gael Drean scored France's bonus-point clinching try with eight minutes to play as Italy were reduced to 13 players

The fifth ​and final try came three minutes from time when Attissogbe broke through on the right wing before feeding Gailleton, who broke Paolo Odogwu's tackle ‌to score.

Quesada: Final score not fair reflection - medical staff mistake left us with 13 players

Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada to ITV:

"The first half we finished 19-8 and we were in the game until the 70th minute at 19-8.

"And their 19 points was a high kick from us that bounced from them for a try, an overthrown lineout and they scored from there. Three lost balls by us was how they did their 19 points.

"But in attack we had the ball and attacked really well in the first half, while in the second we lacked the ball due to our lineouts. We couldn't put enough pressure on with the ball.

"The second half was just a matter of having more quality with the ball especially from the lineout, where we could create so many opportunities and the team could build stuff.

"They didn't have a great game and the score finished super big at the end because of a mistake where we find ourselves with 13 men against 15.

"The medical staff really handled that super badly. There was plenty of time and I don't know what happened there.

"We had one guy off because of discipline and one guy was injured and our responsibility. It finished up with a score which does not reflect the game."

Italy were on top at the scrum but their lineout consistently malfunctioned badly

Lamaro: We had opportunities but couldn't build enough pressure

Italy captain Michele Lamaro to ITV:

"France were unbelievably good at taking their opportunities in the first half. Any little errors by us and France reacted very well.

"We couldn't build enough pressure in the second half and that took us to the 70th minute and the yellow card, and then we had an injury in the backs so I had to cover there and it was tough to contain them.

"Second half we couldn't keep our possessions with our lineouts. We had opportunities.

"We were playing one of the best sides in the world, so obviously you have to be precise, concrete and at a high level. There were moments we were there but a lot of others where we couldn't execute well enough."

Edwards: A real tough game - we had to dig deep

France defence coach Shaun Edwards to ITV:

"That was a real tough game of rugby. I'd call it a real Test match.

"The defence at the end was really good and aggressive and something we've been working on. It's good to know the stuff we've been working on in the week comes to fruition at the weekend.

"We had to dig deep at certain times. And you have to if you want to be champions of Europe.

France defence coach Shaun Edwards conceded his side had to dig deep

"Louis Bielle-Biarrey is incredible. How many tries he's scored is really incredible."

Meafou: We always believed we'd get the bonus-point past strong Italy

Player of the match Emmanuel Meafou to ITV:

"It was a good team per romance. I didn't know I had it in me to dig deep and play the full 80 minutes.

"We always believed we'd get the bonus-point. Italy are a strong team and hung in there for 80 minutes. They never cracked and let go but we believe in our team.

"We're happy to get the points and go again.

"The players in the backline are quality and speak for themselves.

"Our end goal is the 2027 Rugby World Cup and we're working progressively towards that."

What's next?

France next travel to face Scotland in Round 4 of the Six Nations on Saturday February 21 at Murrayfield (2.10pm kick-off).

Italy host England at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome for their fourth Six Nations clash on Saturday February 21 (4.40pm kick-off).