[RWC2023] France vs Italy (06/10/2023)

[Tooting Carmen]

10-0 already. Looks more than a tad ominous. As an aside, do the refs ever speak the language(s) of the teams in question? (Wayne Barnes being a partial exception).

 

[IT157]

Jokes on them though. They could easily have ended that play far earlier by kicking it from outside the 22 and letting Italy have the ball back. That's how a proper team does it.

France are kicking plenty....

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

France already look to be going through the motions. Won't be as big as last week where NZ were frothing at the mouth but it's over as a contest.

Penaud is impossible not to love.

 

[IT157]

And a grubber kick by Penaud when maybe he should have passed....

And it went in touch.

 

[Jer1cho]

The French are looking in the mood. This could become a blowout.

 

[Lé Ddanno]

Varney is so bad

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Italy are a joke, totally on the union too. Why would you get rid of Crowley and give him a WC with no reason to be motivated.

The head of the union is meant to be a bit of a populist / bombastic character. Crowley comes out with weird quotes and struggles to get top jobs despite clear ability. I suspect both may have a personailty clash that led to him getting binned off the most promising 6N ever. 100% baseless speculation on my part.

 

[Reiser99]

France are kicking plenty....

Yeah, but when they are in the opponents half they almost always keep the ball in hand, not aimless kicking it like England and hope for a mistake. They kick at the right times, not just because Borthwick says so.

 

[Tooting Carmen]

France already look to be going through the motions. Won't be as big as last week where NZ were frothing at the mouth but it's over as a contest.

Penaud is impossible not to love.

Jamais dites jamais.

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Mon Dieu!

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Jokes on them though. They could easily have ended that play far earlier by kicking it from outside the 22 and letting Italy have the ball back. That's how a proper team does it.

Looks like they heard you, but doing it right.

 

[IT157]

That was great footwork for the try

 

[Tooting Carmen]

At this rate, it could well be 80-0, as France are roughly scoring one point a minute!

 

[die_mole]

Italy should have realized that giving up against New Zealand meant France would try to one up New Zealand.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

"A quarter of France's tries have come in the opening 20 minutes"

So a quarter of France's tries have come in a quarter of the game? Great insight Ugo, cheers.

 

[Saintjay]

Pretty sure Ramos looks like Frenchie from The Boys.

 

[ncurd]

If Italy can keep it tight in the first 20mins I can see them scoring a couple of tries and keeping it within 18 points. I don't think that will happen. Crowley is mentally on a plane to Japan and its impacting on the squad.

France 47 - 6 Italy

I turned it on 15 mins and read this...

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

The head of the union is meant to be a bit of a populist / bombastic character. Crowley comes out with weird quotes and struggles to get top jobs despite clear ability. I suspect both may have a personailty clash that led to him getting binned off the most promising 6N ever. 100% baseless speculation on my part.

I fully expect Crowley to come out and bash the union after this game tbh.

 

[IT157]

Yeah, but when they are in the opponents half they almost always keep the ball in hand, not aimless kicking it like England and hope for a mistake. They kick at the right times, not just because Borthwick says so.

Are you watching this game? When Penaud just kicked a grubber out for touch. When they kicked but caught for being offside when they could have kept the ball. Plays that would have been crucified if England did it.

 

[Jer1cho]

Italy are a joke, totally on the union too. Why would you get rid of Crowley and give him a WC with no reason to be motivated.

Springboks in the 6 Nations?