Italy put on a stunning performance while France’s performance was lackluster. This led to an intense and chaotic match where the Azzurri took advantage of Jonathan Danty’s red card, the France inside-centre, and almost achieved a momentous victory against Les Bleus.

The width of a post was the difference when, with the clock in the red, the fly-half Paolo Garbisi struck a penalty kick that drifted against an upright, denying Italy a remarkable victory in agonising fashion.

Italy narrowly avoided losing to France in their latest Six Nations match, ending a losing streak against them that had spanned 15 games. Despite this accomplishment, there is some disappointment as they were on the brink of achieving their first victory against France since 2013.

Gonzalo Quesada, the head coach of Italy, expressed that they were critical of themselves following the game against Ireland. He acknowledged that Ireland played at a top level and praised the quality of his team and their determination to improve. Quesada also mentioned the hard work, discipline, and strictness displayed by the players.

The Argentinian stated that he would celebrate with champagne and expressed no dissatisfaction about the end of the game. He believed that the French players may have tried to unlawfully block Garbisi’s kick.

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On the other hand, Fabien Galthié stated that he was not upset, even though his team failed to convert several opportunities in the first half after Charles Ollivon’s early score. However, things became more challenging after Danty was sent off. Galthié praised the Italian team for playing excellently and took responsibility for the experience.

After being defeated by Ireland, Quesada took action by implementing six changes, with the most significant one being the inclusion of Exeter’s Ross Vintcent as the starting No 8 for his first international appearance. Galthié also made adjustments, bringing in 19-year-old Perpignan lock Posolo Tuilagi for his first start for France and replacing the injured Grégory Alldritt with La Rochelle’s Paul Boudehent in the back row.

When the roof was shut, the air was filled with smoke from the fireworks before the match as the home team faced Italy. François Cros earned a penalty at a breakdown and Ollivon scored a try. After a TMO review, Ramos successfully converted the first try despite concerns of a knock-on in the lead-up. It appeared that France was in control of the game.

Tuilagi – son of Henry, nephew of Manu – comes from an illustrious rugby family and the 19-year-old lock made his presence felt in attack and defence. A smart offload to Matthieu Jalibert released the fly-half and created a big overlap with Gaël Fickou eventually held up short. Ramos’s penalty stretched the lead to 10-0.

Italy did not lack competitiveness, as Vintcent played exceptionally well as a back-row player. However, France displayed better continuity. Matthis Lebel missed a scoring opportunity when he dropped a bouncing ball near the try-line, Jalibert squandered a chance with a clever cross-kick, and France continued to pressure Italy’s try-line before Jalibert left the game due to injury just before half-time.

Italy had difficulty handling Tuilagi, but managed to make a strong comeback before the first half ended. Martin Page-Relo, the energetic scrum-half, aided the team in their purposeful attacks. Federico Mori’s impressive break on the left side was followed by a high tackle from Danty, as seen by the TMO. Danty was given a yellow card and Page-Relo successfully kicked a penalty from a far distance, giving Quesada’s team hope. The team’s chances only increased when Danty’s card was changed to a red.

Tommaso Menoncello’s bold kick forward caused France to retreat, but despite having one less player, it appeared that the hosts were the more skilled team. However, Italy’s confidence visibly increased when Garbisi’s penalty reduced the deficit to seven points in the last quarter. Ange Capuozzo’s swift try closed the gap to two points after a smooth and coordinated attack, and Garbisi’s impressive conversion resulted in a tie game.

The clock ran out. Garbisi took over when France’s Yoram Moefana was penalized for holding on. There was a chaotic moment when the ball slipped off the kicking tee, and the French defenders believed they could block the kick when Garbisi reset the ball. His attempt hit the post, preventing France from suffering a disastrous loss. What a thrilling turn of events.

Captain Ollivon reassured that France’s recent performances have not resulted in any major issues. He acknowledged the support of their loyal fans and expressed determination to improve. Despite putting in a lot of effort during the week, the team was unable to see the desired results. They may be disappointed, but they are not defeated and are determined to bounce back in the upcoming important matches.

Source: theguardian.com