France continued their run in the 2026 Six Nations Championship this Sunday with a bonus-point victory over Italy (33-8) at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille. Despite this win, the French team delivered an uneven performance, less dazzling than their victories against Ireland (36-14) and Wales (54-12).
A blistering start followed by a weak period
France quickly took control of the match, scoring three tries in the first thirty minutes. But then, the team seemed to lose intensity for much of the game. Nevertheless, they secured the bonus point late in the match, confirming their status as the undefeated team in the tournament.
Tactical adjustments necessitated by absences
The day before the match, starting fly-half Matthieu Jalibert was ruled out due to a calf strain, forcing the coaching staff to reshuffle the half-back pairing. Thomas Ramos was moved to fly-half and Gaël Dréan received his first call-up. Fabien Galthié also made changes to the second row, starting Thibaud Flament and Emmanuel Meafou to bolster the scrum against Italy.
Italy is progressing but lagging behind
Gonzalo Quesada's Italian team, with the return of Ange Capuozzo, showed signs of improvement but never managed to trouble the French. The French captain Anthony Dupont had also pointed out that Italy "is no longer a surprise"and that it progresses year after year.
Aiming for the Grand Slam
With this victory, Les Bleus remain at the top of the standings and now turn their attention to their next challenges: Scotland on March 7 in Edinburgh, then England on March 14, with the aim of securing the 11th Grand Slam in the history of the French national rugby team.
