Italy-France: the favorites and scratches of our special correspondent

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Ntamack good foot, good eye

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In a tense match without a lot of space, the view of the Toulouse opener was invaluable.

Sharp eye and precise technique to serve his wingers twice with a small diagonal kick over the Italian defense.

On the first, Damian Penaud, in the aerial fight with Ange Capuozzo, does not pick the offering.

But Thomas Ramos, on the lookout, will flatten in the in-goal.

On the second, this time towards the left side, Ethan Dumortier will seize it without opposition to, then, go and put the ball at the foot of the posts.

Two millimeter kicks that pulled an uninspired and very clumsy XV of France out of the trap with the ball in hand.

Capuozzo strikes again

The darling of Italian rugby never ceases to shine in the eyes of his compatriots.

Facing the Blues, the back or winger of Stade Toulousain has indeed scored his 6th try in eight selections.

Thanks to him, the Nazionale came close to the feat after having accomplished it in Wales during the 2022 Tournament and against Australia last November where Ange Capuozzo's two tries had offered a first historic success against the Wallabies. .

This time, no long-term flights.

He "just" escaped Grégory Alldritt with an overflow frame just in front of the try line.

Fickou strength 40

The three-quarter center of Racing 92 was playing his fortieth match of the Tournament in Rome.

A tricolor record since the transition to six nations in 2000. Gaël Fickou made his first at 18 on March 6, 2013. At 28 (and 75 caps), he took part in the Tournament eleven times.

He is approaching the French record, held by Philippe Sella (50 matches played in 13 editions of the Tournament) and could finish this 2023 edition on the podium since Sella is ahead of Fabien Pelous (49) and Serge Blanco (42).

This Sunday in Rome, Gaël Fickou equalized Sylvain Marconnet (40) and overtook Imanol Hanirnordoquy (39).

Claw strokes

Ollivon, illustration of tricolor indiscipline

The great Charles was not on his plate in Rome.

Four penalties conceded, including one which earned him a yellow card and a penalty try to the Italians.

It must be said that the third line of RC Toulon had roughly collapsed the opposing maul which was heading towards the French in-goal.

Two minutes earlier, Charles Ollivon had escaped the yellow card, being sanctioned only with a penalty for his tackle on the neck of the Italian winger Pierre Bruno.

Four penalties is obviously way too much for a single player.

But he was not the only one to forget the basic observance of the rules.

Within a French team which was penalized 18 times by the English referee Mr. Carley, Paul Willemse and his replacement, Romain Taofifenua, each conceded

A speaker

He is there to raise the mood.

Before the match.

Make sure she doesn't fall back at the break.

Ask for a last effort from the public at the end of the meeting.

But the Stadio Olympico announcer did much more than that on Sunday.

The hour before kick-off had given us a hint.

He was screaming.

Without stopping.

Already painful.

But the big surprise, the novelty of the day, was to hear him take the microphone several times… during the match!

And not just right after an Italian try or penalty to announce the score, no.

But to encourage the transalpine players, encourage the public to push them a little more.

The acme of this noise nuisance and the

abolition of fair play was achieved in the last minutes during which the brawler still raised the level of decibels to, with each Italian possession, predict the decisive action, the brilliant coup which would offer the exploit to the local team.

The miracle did not happen.

And so much the better for our eardrums which would have been put to the test if the Nazionale were successful.