That’s it from me.Keep an eye out for Raphael’s report from Lille.Cracking game (well, mostly it was).France just too good.Can they win the championship in the next round? We’ll find out in a fortnight.

Cheers all.Well Gonzalo Quesada disagrees with his skipper:“I don’t think the score reflects the match.”I sort of agree given how well they played in the first half, and that France scored with every red zone entry in the opening 40.But Italy’s inability to land a punch in the second means they were rightly beaten by a hefty margin.Michele Lamaro is up next.

He’s asked if the scoreline is a bit harsh on his team:double quotation markThe scoreboard is always the truth of the game.I think France was unbelievably good at taking their opportunities.Any little error was a good reaction from their part.We couldn’t build pressure in the.second half and that took us to the yellow card.

Then a little injury so I had to cover a backline spot so it was hard to contain them.We made too many errors.We couldn’t keep our ball, especially on the line-out.We’re playing one of the best teams in the world so you have to be precise, you have to be accurate and at a very high level.There were moments when we were, but a lot of other moments when we didn’t execute well enough.

Shaun Edwards, France’s defence guru, speaks:double quotation markWe put in a good performance.It was a real Test match.The defence at the end was top.Really good and aggressive.It was really good to know the things that you’ve worked on in the week come to fruition.

You have to dig deep at certain times, if you want to be champions of Europe, you have to dig deep.I would love to be a fly on the wall when Italy debrief.So much went right but too may basic errors, especially at line-out.Can’t beat top teams when you keep chucking away possession.A bonus point in Edinburgh will secure the title for France in two weeks.

Here’s the player of the match Emmanuel Meafou:double quotation markIt was a good team performance.I was blowing out there.I didn’t know I had it in me but I’m blessed and so grateful for the opportunity.We knew that Italy are a strong team.They never let go.

But we believe in our team.We go again next week.The players speak for themselves.Doesn’t matter the name on the back, everyone works.We’re working towards the 2027 WC.

And we’ll keep working.We’ll take the week off and we’ll be ready for a big game against Scotland.Scary thing is France barely got out of third gear.Little more than a 7/10 overall.The forwards were OK.

Ramos nowhere near his best,That 10 channel rarely lit up and I thought Attissogbe had a tricky time at fullback,But when you’re so stacked with world class talent, when you have Dupont, when you have Bielle-Biarrey and a sense of indomitability, then 7/10 is more than good enough to beat most teams,France soar to the top of the Six Nations table with 15 points from three matches,Perhaps just one more win would be enough to secure the title.

They’ll want more than that,The attack comes to nothing as three French defenders haul the Italian ball carrier over the line and they close out a comfortable win!80+2 min: 15 phases and Italy have made no ground,80 min: One last chance for Italy,They win a penalty and then the line-out five short of France’s line,Where was that accuracy throughout the match? Now they build under the French poles.

Seven phases but still short.Can they get over?Go on then, one more! Incredible how they just flick the switch and can put on points at will.Italy look spent.Attissogbe got it rolling down the right.Then Serin had it on a string as he fizzed it back to the left and kept finding runners.

Ramos flung a long spiral to his centre who had a lot of work to do, beating one tackler and then wriggling over the line under the contact of another.Ramos adds the extras and this is becoming a bit of a hiding.76 min: Dupont makes way to a standing ovation.He is adored.And rightly so.

Thought he was very good today.Not outstanding, but still a solid 8/10 performance.His replacement Serin will feed the scrum on halfway.75 min: LBB chases after a high ball and spills it on halfway.He is still working his socks off.

Try on debut! France win the line-out and get a maul on.They eke out a penalty and with Drean in so much space down on the right wing, Ramos kicks into the space ahead.A bounce and a simple catch means the new man is over as he smiles.Ramos makes a tricky conversion look routine.Tha't’s made things almost impossible now fior Italy.

He entered the side of a ruck and then committed a deliberate knock on.Take your pick.69 min: Lynagh spills a ball in the air but France counter.Dupont then rakes a kick forcing Odogwu to clean up.Italy retain possession from a French kick but they’re turned over on the floor.

It’s all happening between the 10m lines either side of halfway.67 min: Yet another scrum penalty for Italy.I think that’s four for the match.They play with advantage as P Garbisi runs hard and straight.His brother, on at 9, keeps things ticking, but Italy can’t beat the French defence.

We go back for the penalty that is kicked out short of the 22.But France pinch that line-out.The Italian line-out has more than malfunctioned.It might be the reason they lose this game.65 min: A couple of French errors means a little messy passage ends with Italy having the scrum between their 22 and halfway.

That was a spill in the air from LBB.But Italy, when they get the ball back, don’t look like breaking the French line.In fact a wild pass in an attempt to rush the play ended in a French hand.The crowd celebrate prematurely but we go back from the knock-on.64 min: Italy get the ball in and out of the scrum and Capuozzo hoofs it down field.

He finds touch beyond the 22.63 min: Oh France spill the ball! Brau-Boirie! Can’t believe France didn’t score.They kept hammering the line.It felt inevitable.But the centre took his eyes off the ball as his vision was flooded by red jerseys.

Italy have the scrum feed five out from their own line,62 min: France showing some class now,Attissogbe got a lovely off-load away for LBB on his left,They’re nine phases and a metre short,After the backs down the line the forwards get to work.

Italy slow it down illegally so France have the penalty under the shade of Italy’s sticks,One more try should prove the winner,60 min: France have Italy exactly where they want them,The men in red just cannot get out of their half,They’re back in their 22, throwing to a line-out.

But it’s skew.Again.So France gifted possession.57 min: France back on the ball after Italy’s long kick.They kick.

They kick again after winning possession.Ioane kicks from deep.Ramos kicks high.Capuozzo fields before Fusco kicks.France win the battle as the Italian scrumhalf hoofs it straight out