ROME (AP) — France will face unbeaten Six Nations leader Ireland in a buoyant mood after thrashing Italy by a record-high 73-24 at Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.
France blew away its previous highest score against Italy of 60 in 1967 and 2023, and racked up its highest score in Six Nations rugby.
The French gave an all-business performance that netted 11 tries — the bonus-point fourth try came after 30 minutes.
Looking to rebound from the fumbling loss to England, France looked like the pre-tournament title favorite again which will pump up the hype around the round-four showdown in Dublin which will likely decide the fate of the Six Nations title, as their matchups in the previous three years have done.
France bombed at least half a dozen tries at a wet Twickenham two weeks ago, but the handling in Rome was silky and certain in ideal conditions with only 15 drops among 242 passes and a remarkable 28 offloads.
“When we had to score the tries (against England) we made mistakes,” France captain Antoine Dupont said. “Today, it was better.
“It will be a huge game in Dublin. We have two weeks to prepare for that but it will be tough for sure.”
The result in Rome was somewhat surprising considering Italy’s improvement and their 13-13 draw in Lille last year, but France made its intentions known in the first minute when a penalty from the first breakdown was kicked for a corner lineout. Fullback Leo Barre was held out, but he and France were not denied for long.
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AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
The Associated Press
