France beat Italy as both sides see Red

France remained unbeaten in the Six Nations Championship when they beat Italy 30-10 at the Stade de France on Sunday.

All of the tries in the match were scored in the second half and 10 minutes from time both sides had a player red carded for foul play.

Michele Rizzo of Italy and Rabah Slimani of France were shown red cards minutes before Sebastien Vahaamahina was yellow carded.

France went in for half time with a 9-3 lead after a slow first half but they came out for the second half a different side.

France’s victory was built on a devastating burst of 21 points in the opening
15 minutes of the second-half which saw the hosts record back to back wins for
the first time since November 2012

Tries by Louis Picamoles, Wesley Fofana and debutant Hugo Bonneval — all converted
by Jean-Marc Doussain who scored 15 points in all — saw France pull away from
Italy after a dull first-half had seen them lead only 9-3 at the break.

The match descended into an ill-tempered affair by the end with replacement
props Rabah Slimane of France and Italy’s Michele Rizzo sent off by Jaco Peyper
after the Frenchman reacted badly to the latter’s uppercuts.

It was the first time that two players had been sent off in a Test match since
France v England in 1992 which saw two French players red carded.

The French can travel to two-time defending champions Wales on Friday week
with an extra bounce in their step as the last time France beat England and
Italy in Paris, in 2010, they went on to win the Grand Slam.

Doussain missed two early kicks at goal drawing boos from the famously fickle
home supporters while Jules Plisson sent a drop goal attempt well wide.

Italy had a penalty of their own in the 13th minute but centre Gonzalo Garcia
saw his effort from just inside the French half fall well short.

More French pressure finally saw Doussain put the hosts ahead in the 27th minute
but the resilient Italians levelled through Tommaso Allan two minutes later.

The hosts were finding it hard to get out of their territory and conceded another
penalty after the Italian forwards made another great drive in the 32nd minute
only for Allan to miss an easy attempt.

Instead it was France who took the lead as Doussain — the first player to
make his international debut in a World Cup final when he played in the 2011
edition — converted a penalty from just to the left of the posts for 6-3.

The Italians were undoing all their good work with ill discipline and Doussain
was presented with another opportunity to punish them with two minutes remaining
of the first-half which he seized for a 9-3 lead.

Coach Philippe Saint-Andre must have fired his players up at half-time because
within four minutes they had extended their lead by seven points, Picamoles
managing to ground the ball despite an excellent tackle by Tommaso Iannone for
his sixth try in 40 Tests.

Doussain converted from far out on the left for 16-3.

The floodgates had opened and Fofana it was who after a quiet opening 40 minutes
showed his class breaking down the blindside from outside the Italian 22 and
despite Luke McLean’s despairing tackle he went over for his ninth try in 23
Test appearances.

Doussain converted brilliantly from wide out on the right for 23-3 and the
Marseillaise rang out from all round the ground.

It was well deserved as the French came up with a superb third try in the 52nd
minute.

Fofana intercepted inside his own 22 and running it back into the Italian half
before offloading to Yoann Huget, who was able to get the ball away to Bonneval
as he was tackled by Leonardo Sarto and the debutant touched down — Doussain
converted for 30-3.

Italy kept pounding away at the French line and the hosts were reduced t