Six Nations 2010: France v Italy match preview

By Brendan Gallagher 949AM GMT twelve Mar 2010

In and out Yachvili (right) is on the dais for France in place of Michalak (left) Photo AFP

Six Nations

Sunday Mar fourteen

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France v ItalyStade de France, ParisKick-off 15.30 GMT TV BBC1, BBCHD, BBC Red Button

Touchline duel France contingency ensure opposite relief and that routine has to begin with manager Marc Lievremont being entirely encouraged and receiving the Italian hazard serioulsy. Lievremont has played a excellent palm so far in the 2010 Six Nations and is inside of distinguished area of a Grand Slam.

Italy"s Nick Mallet was gay with his team"s win over Scotland but this will be altogeher different, not that Italian players need reminding. France has been a home from home for most and they know usually how challenging the plea is. Mallett says a 10-15 point better would essentially be a "victory" for his side and he is right.

Head to head Marco Bortolami and Quintin Geldenhuys opposite antithesis thatch Lionel Nallet and Julien Pierre. Italy need a clever opening in the set-pieces to stay competitive, that equates to clever scrummage and a widespread line-out. Following a integrate of injury-plagued seasons, former Italy captain Bortolami has been sensitively personification himself behind in to form this contest and the unsung Geldenhuys is building in to a category operator. If they can interrupt the French line-out, Italy could be ungainly opponents.

Talking strategy If you were being captious about France you could disagree that they have as well straightforwardly taken their feet off the pedal in all their 3 games to date, so to equivocate any form of complaceny opposite Italy - a group they have usually lost to once in their histroy and never in the Championshp - Lievremont should plea his group to furnish an 80 notation performance. Italy need to tackle, enclose and afterwards plunge in to a little some-more and maybe perplex the French in to indiscretions.

And an additional thing Italy available their usually win in thirty attempts over France in Grenoble in 1997 when they triumphed 40-32

Match details

France XV C Poitrenaud (Toulouse); M Andreu (Castres), D Marty (Perpignan), Y Jauzion (Toulouse), A Palisson (Brive); F Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), M Parra (Clermont Auvergne); T Domingo (Clermont Auvergne), W Servat (Toulouse), N Mas (Perpignan) L Nallet (Racing Metro), J Pierre (Clermont Auvergne) T Dusautoir (Toulouse, captain), J Bonnaire (Clermont Auvergne), I Harinordoquy (Biarritz). Replacements D Szarzewski (Stade Francais), J-B Poux (Toulouse), S Chabal (Racing Metro), A Lapandry (Clermont Auvergne), D Yachvili (Biarritz), M Bastareaud (Stade Francais), J Malzieu (Clermont Auvergne).

Italy XV L McLean (Benetton Treviso); A Masi (Racing Metro), G Canale (Clermont), G Garcia (Treviso), Mirco Bergamasco (Stade Francais); C Gower (Bayonne), T Tebaldi (Parma); S Perugini (Bayonne), L Ghiraldini (Treviso), M Castrogiovanni (Leicester), Q Geldenhuys (Viadana), M Bortolami (Gloucester), J Sole (Viadana), Mauro Bergamasco (Stade Francais), A Zanni (Treviso).Replacements F Ongaro (Saracens), M Aguero (Saracens), C Antonio Del Fava (Viadana), P Derbyshire (Padova), P Canavosio (Viadana), R Bocchino (Rovigo), K Robertson (Viadana).

Referee A Lewis (Ireland)