SIX NATIONS: PREVIEW: Italy v France:IF IT is true that France are at their best when their backs are to the wall, then Italy should be braced for a torrid time when the last round of Six Nations matches kicks off at the Stadio Flaminio today.
All week the hurt of losing at Twickenham last Sunday and conceding four tries by half-time has haunted the French camp. Players have lined up to admit their sins and do penance, though none has come close to the most recent outpourings from the winger Cedric Heymans.
Just before leaving for Rome the 30-year-old from Toulouse described the 34-10 defeat as the worst of his career before warming to his task: “The most difficult thing is this feeling of powerlessness, of shame. It was unbelievable . . . We realise we have been ridiculed.”
No doubt the French will let rip today against a side which has already landed the wooden spoon. However, when the dust settles on the season, those in control of French rugby will ponder how far two seasons with Marc Lievremont in charge have taken them.
The young coach was given licence to use the four years of his contract to produce a team capable of winning the World Cup but his honeymoon with the French media ended long ago and his more quixotic selections – like Sebastien Chabal playing openside flanker last Saturday – are increasingly questioned.
This week Lievremont has made four more changes. Two of the more promising 2011 candidates, the Clermont wing Julien Malzieu and the powerhouse Stade centre Mathieu Bastareaud, join the secondrow Jerome Thion, recalled from the wilderness to face England, on the bench, while Lionel Faure of Sale vanishes from the squad completely. Damien Traille plays at fullback, Florian Fritz returns at centre and the forwards Julien Bonnaire and Fabien Barcella are also recalled. And there is a rare sighting (on the bench) of Frederic Michalak.
Defeat would certainly throw the cat among the pigeons but that is highly unlikely. In four games Italy have conceded 120 points while scoring only one try. The raft of experimental laws do the Italians few favours. When the season is reviewed, their coach Nick Mallett will have questions to answer, especially about the selection of Mauro Bergamasco at scrumhalf against England.
GuardianService
ITALY: A Marcato; G Rubini, G Canale, M Bergamasco, M Pratichetti; L McLean, P Griffen; S Perugini, L Ghiraldini, C Nieto; S Dellape, M Bortolami; A Zanni, M Bergamasco , S Parisse. Replacements: F Sbaraglini, M Castrogiovanni, C Antonio Del Fava , J Sole, P Canavosio, L Orquera , R Quartaroli.
FRANCE: D Traille; M Medard, F Fritz, Y Jauzion, C Heymans; F Trinh-Duc, M Parra; F Barcella, D Szarzewski, S Marconnet; L Nallet (capt), S Chabal; T Dusautoir, J Bonnaire , I Harinordoquy. Replacements: W Servat, TDomingo , J Thion, L Picamoles , F Michalak, M Bastareaud, J Malzieu.
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland).
