02/22/26 11:18:00
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02/22 11:16 CST Six Nations favorite France scores 5 tries in 33-8 win against
Italy
Six Nations favorite France scores 5 tries in 33-8 win against Italy
LILLE, France (AP) --- France remained on course for the Six Nations title
after a scrappy 33-8 win against Italy on Sunday.
Fabien Galthi's side is favored to win back-to-back titles and is the only
team to have won all three matches. France grabbed five tries for a bonus point
and has 19 tries so far, having managed a tournament-record 30 last year.
Jet-heeled left winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey, lock Emmanuel Meafou and makeshift
flyhalf Thomas Ramos scored first-half tries at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille,
two of them set up by star scrumhalf Antoine Dupont.
But after leading 19-0 inside 30 minutes, the French tried too much
entertaining as indiscipline allowed Italy back in.
An opportunist try from fullback Ange Capuozzo followed by Paolo Garbisi's
penalty pulled it back to 19-8.
The scoreboard stayed static until 31 minutes into the second half when the
ever-alert Ramos kicked into the right corner to give winger Gal Dran a try
on test debut.
That try came about when Italy was down to 14 players after winger Louis Lynagh
--- the son of Australian flyhalf great Michael Lynagh --- was carelessly
sinbinned for a deliberate knock-on.
Italy's bench was angry at the try, which came with the Italians effectively
down to 13 because Capuozzo was not yet back on the field following treatment
for a shoulder injury.
Center Emilien Gailleton showed his strength when he broke a tackle to dive
over in the closing stages, and Ramos converted. -__
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
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