Italy v France: Six Nations updates – live

Key events

Show key events only

Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature

Italy are looking to make it three straight home wins for the first time in the Six Nations.

This would perhaps be their best ever result.

Anthems now….

The players are assembling in the tunnel now. Rome looks a picture in glorious sunshine! I’ve got a mate who has just sent a picture from the stadium and I must say I’m incredibly jealous.

France’s defence coach, Shaun Edwards, a man of few words, says that “There’s definitely a renewed intensity” to the group after the loss to England.

“I’m a big believer that when the guys lose you need to give them support.”

I bet there were some harsh words spoken in private though.

“When you play one of the best teams in the world, you have to be really accurate with everything you do.”

So says Italy’s coach Gonzalo Quesada.

Simple, eh?

Despite last year’s 13-13 draw, France have had it all their own way against Italy in recent years.

In the 2023 World Cup Le Bleus thumped their neighbours by 53 points. It was tighter the last time they played in Rome with a late try settling the game by five points, but it was another thumping the year before that as France claimed the slam, and again the year before that.

The average score between these two over the last five meetings is Italy 13-38 France. My ten cents? It’ll be much closer than that this afternoon.

While we wait, here’s a bunch of tasty writing from yesterday’s Six Nations action:

Rob Kitson reflects on Scotland’s agony:

Andy Bull sings the praises of England’s “iron-chinned boxers”:

Michael Aylwin enjoyed watching Scotland, but laments their inability to deliver on their promise:

Gerard Meagher rates England’s and Scotland’s players:

And Luke McLuaghlin heard from Wales’ interim coach, Matt Sherratt, who managed to rouse a response from his beleaguered squad:

France team

The French are going for power over panache as Fabian Galthié has loaded his bench with seven forwards.

There are four changes from the team that started in the defeat to England with Thibaud Flament making his first appearance of the tournament in the second row alongside Mackael Guillard who came off the bench in Twickenham two weeks ago.

Fly-half Matthieu Jalibert and winger Damian Penaud have remarkably been axed from the match-day 23 altogether with Thomas Ramos slotting in at 10 and Leo Barre moving to 15. Theo Attissogbe starts on the right wing.

There are more changes on the bench with Georges-Henri Colombe replacing Dorian Aldegheri as the replacement tighthead prop while lock Romain Taofifenua joins the party. Anthony Jelonch adds extra heft while Maxime Lucu is the sole back among the subs, edging out Nolann Le Garrec.

France: 15 – Leo Barre; 14 – Theo Attissogbe, 13 – Pierre-Louis Barassi, 12 – Yoram Moefana, 11 – Louis Bielle-Biarrey; 10 – Thomas Ramos, 9 – Antoine Dupont (c); 1 – Jean-Baptiste Gros, 2 – Peato Mauvaka, 3 – Uini Atonio, 4 – Thibaud Flament, 5 – Mickael Guillard, 6 – Francois Cros, 7 – Paul Boudehent, 8 – Gregory Alldritt.

Replacements: 16 – Julien Marchand, 17- Cyril Baille, 18- Dorian Aldegheri, 19- Romain Taofifenua, 20 - Alexandre Roumat, 21 - Oscar Jegou, 22 - Anthony Jelonch, 23 – Maxime Lucu

Italy team

Gonzalo Quesada has made two changes from the starting XV that comfortably beat Wales a fortnight ago.

One is a forced change with the injured winger Monty Ioane making way for Simone Gesi, who started on the bench in Warren Gatland’s last game in charge of Wales.

There’s also a change at hooker with Gianmarco Lucchesi moving to the bench and Giacomo Nicotera starting.

The previously banned loosehead Mirco Spagnolo has returns to the match-day 23 with tighthead Giosuè Zilocchi and lock Riccardo Favretto among the substitutes in a 6-2 split.

Otherwise it’s a settled backline with perhaps the most potent midfield in the competition. It’s a question of whether or not their tight five can win the arm wrestle up front.

Italy: 15 – Tommasso Allan; 14 – Ange Capuozzo, 13 – Juan Ignacio Brex, 12 – Tommaso Menoncello, 11 – Simone Gesi; 10 – Paolo Garbisi, 9 – Martin Page-Relo; 1 – Danilo Fischetti, 2 – Gianmarco Lucchesi, 3 – Simone Ferrari, 4 - Niccolò Cannone, 5 – Federico Ruzza, 6 – Sebastian Negri, 7 – Michele Lamaro (c), 8 – Lorenzo Cannone.

Replacements: 16 - Giacomo Nicotera, 17 – Mirco Spagnolo, 18 – Giosuè Zilocchi, 19 – Riccardo Favretto, 20 – Manuel Zuliani, 21 – Ross Vintcent, 22 – Alessandro Garbisi, 23 - Jacopo Trulla

Preamble

Is Fabian Galthié wasting a golden generation of French talent? It’s a harsh question, but a fair one considering a team stacked with game changers, one supplemented by the best domestic league in the world, has only one Six Nations crown to show for all their dazzle.

Now, with England beating Scotland, and Ireland keeping their grand slam ambitions alive, we’re entering must-win territory for France. A loss today would see their slim hopes of a title evaporate.

In years gone by this would be a gimme. From 9 February 2011 to 6 October 2023, France beat Italy 14 times in a row. But last year, a malfunctioning kicking tee denied the Azzurri a deserving victory in Lille. Instead the sides settled for a 13-13 draw but it was the Italians who left with enhanced reputations and the French wondering if their quarterfinal exit in a home World Cup in 2023 constituted a high water mark.

Italy will fancy their chances against the one team they want to beat more than the rest. There’s a bit of a little-brother-big-brother vibe to this rivalry and the fratellini have all the tools for an upset on home soil.

Can they do it? We’ll find out once things kick off in Rome at 3pm.

Teams and more updates to come.