France ease past Italy to secure first win – 6 Nations
NatWest 6 Nations
France 34-17 France
Mathieu Bastareaud marked his return to the NatWest 6 Nations in superb fashion as he inspired France to their first win of this year’s Championship. Les Bleus had too much for Italy in Marseille on Friday night at the Orange Stade Vélodrome and, after a wasteful first half, it was Bastareaud – playing his first game in this Championship in three years – who led them to victory.
Both sides scored tries from driving mauls in the early exchanges, France dominating the first half but blowing countless try-scoring opportunities.
And while they only led 11-7 at the break, in the second half Hugo Bonneval profited from a fine Bastareaud half-break and offload to put the hosts in the clear.
Bastareaud then got the try that his industry all night deserved and while they could not claim a fourth and a bonus point, the boot of Machenaud put them out of sight.
Italy did claim a consolation through Matteo Minozzi but it is now three losses from three for the Azzurri this year while Jacques Brunel has the first win of his reign, ending an eight-match winless run for France.
The recalled Bastareaud won an early penalty for Les Bleus who started brightly. And despite their defeats in the opening two rounds, the hosts showed real confidence at in a deafening Marseille to turn down two kickable penalties in the early skirmishes and kick to the corner.
And it paid dividends when Paul Gabrillagues forced the ball over the line from close range after the rolling maul fell short.
Machenaud missed with the extras and Italy mustered a fine, and immediate, response.
Like their opponents before them, a kickable penalty went to the corner and from the driving maul Maxime Mbanda could not quite ground the ball but referee Wayne Barnes awarded a penalty try anyway and the visitors were in front with France fortunate to keep their full complement on the field.
But it was the hosts who were dominating proceedings and creating chances but the final pass continued to evade them.
The impressive Wenceslas Lauret, Sébastién Vahaamahina and Geoffrey Doumayrou all wasted golden chances in the first half as Brunel’s side could not get the second score their dominance probably deserved.
Bastareaud was turning the ball over in defence on the floor and in the tackle, bouncing off defenders and even showing a deft kicking game at times.
And the boot of Machenaud was now homing in on the posts, two first-half penalties meaning Brunel’s side went in at the break 11-7 to the good.
It was a similar story at the start of the second half, Bastareaud’s quick hands releasing Beauxis but this time an Italian hand got back just in time as he looked set to put Doumayrou over.
Machenaud’s third penalty made it a seven-point lead after another thudding Bastareaud carry through the middle.
But still errors were preventing Les Bleus from pulling away and when Doumayrou kicked out on the full, Italian pressure won a penalty for a tackle off the ball on Sergio Parisse and Tommaso Allan reduced arrears to 14-10.
It was a stop-start second half with plenty of breaks in play but the irrepressible Bastareaud was still firing on all cylinders and it was he that finally created France’s second score on the hour-mark.
His half-break and offload released Bonneval and the full-back then exchanged passes with the impressive Rémy Grosso down the left to go over.
Machenaud added the extras, and two penalties after that to make sure of the result and France were comfortable in a 17-point lead.
Bastareaud’s drive from close range got him a score late on before Minozzi’s consolation but it is now 15 defeats in a row in this Championship for Italy while France await England in round four with confidence renewed.
