France launched their defense of the Six Nations crown with a hard-fought victory over Italy, edging past them 29-24 in Rome on Sunday. The French flexed their muscles, with tries from Thibaud Flament, Thomas Ramos, rookie Ethan Dumortier, and Matthieu Jalibert securing a tight win and a valuable bonus point. This result puts France level with Ireland and Scotland, all on five points.
However, the French performance was far from impressive, handing out 18 penalties and nearly gifting the game to an Italian side that has been rejuvenated by their recent win over Australia.
France captain Antoine Dupont wasn’t pleased with his team’s display, stating, “We can’t get too excited about this win. Our discipline was lacking and we gave away too many penalties. At this level, it’s unacceptable and we need to fix it quickly.”
Despite the loss, Italy put up a valiant effort, with Ange Capuozzo’s first-half score, a penalty try, and 12 points from Tommaso Allan, proving they were no pushovers.
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