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France vs Italy: Six Nations preview

Roar Guru
5th February, 2016
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France will look to bounce back form their disappointing World Cup campaign against Ireland (AFP PHOTO / LOIC VENANCE)
Roar Guru
5th February, 2016
1

France and Italy will look to get their Six Nations campaigns off to the perfect start as both teams look to recover from poor World Cup showings last year.

How the mighty have fallen. France were just two points short of winning a remarkable World Cup back in 2011 against hosts New Zealand, only to succumb meekly against the same opposition four years later in the quarter-finals in England.

Such a crushing defeat has left new France coach Guy Noves with plenty to work on as he seeks to re-establish the French national team as a major force in world rugby.

Indeed the rebuilding phase starts today against an Italy team that is a worthy chance of upsetting the French if the hosts once again fail to play to their potential.

With new faces such as Johnathan Danty and Camille Chat in the squad, France’s roster is yet again made up of players that possess great potential. Potential though doesn’t win big tournaments and it will be interesting to see how a promising squad is able to execute their game plan on the big stage.

Italy meanwhile is more predictable with its play. They continue to rely on their solid pack and prefer to play a territory-based game. If executed well, it is a style that keeps them competitive against most northern hemisphere teams. Stalwarts like Martin Castrogiovanni, Alessandro Zanni and skipper Sergio Parrisse are crucial components to Italy’s success in this regard.

Their forward orientated play however is one-dimensional and it will continue to hold the Azurri back from improving their results against the best teams in the world.

With talented players such as Michele Campagnaro, Leonardo Sarto and Edoardo Padovani in the squad, Italy could surprise the French today as they bid to ask more questions of opposition defences.

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While Italy will show up to compete, the result of today’s contest will be determined by how well the French perform on home soil. If they play to their potential, they will win. If not, a tight contest could eventuate and the longer the match stays close, the more this contests swings in Italy’s favour.

Prediction: France by 7 points

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