Rugby / Bunker Nuggets

Italy v France

Bottom of the table Italy are at home to fourth placed France looking for a win to avoid a whitewash.

Fixture History

·         France go into this match with a 9/0 record over the Italians in the 6 Nations, including four wins in Rome already under their belt.  

·         The closest the Italians have got to the French in Rome was in 2001 when they lost by 11 points, 30-19. They also lost by 11 points in their first ever meeting back in 2000 in Paris, 42-31.

·         In the last two home matches the Italians have managed just one try against the French and that was some 136 minutes ago when Kaine Robertson scored

·         The French had their biggest win in Rome on their visit in 2005 when they were 43 points winners in a 56-13 and their 56 is their highest score against the Italians home or away

Current 6 Nations Season

·         Seven Italians have started all four matches so far in the Championship 

·         Second row Santiago Dellape has been replaced in all four matches

·         Mirco Bergamasco is the only Italian try scorer in this season’s Championship, three less than Scotland have managed and six fewer than the French

·         Four of France’s seven tries have come in the third quarter

·         Italy have conceded the most tries, 14, with the French next on the list with 10

·         Eight of the 10 tries conceded by the French have come away from home  

·         Five of the 10 tries conceded by the French have come in the second quarter; the Italians have conceded most tries in the final quarter, also five

·         The French have conceded six of their ten tries in the first half of matches and are the only side to have conceded more tries in the first half of matches

·         France are the only side whose forwards have outscored their backs four tries to three

·         12 of the 14 tries conceded by Italy have come from the opposition backs and just two by the forwards, whilst the French ratio is nearly the same with eight of the 10 coming from the backs

·         French scrum half Morgan Parra is the second youngest player in this season RBS 6 Nations aged 20 years and 84 days

·         The Italians have fielded three of the seven youngest players in this seasons Championship 

·         The oldest player for either side this season has been the Italian scrum half Paul Griffin at 33 years and 349 days, the fifth oldest player to compete this season

·         France have had 25 different starts the most in this seasons Championship and three more than the Italians 

·         There have been eight players under 22 in this seasons Championship and four of them have been Italian and two from France

·         The French have only had six ever presents this season with three of them playing every minute of every match      

·         Hooker Benjamin Kayser has come on in all four matches for Dmitri Szarzewski

·         No French player has scored more than one try this season with seven different players getting on the scoreboard

·         Italy have had seven different players play in all four matches this season with three of them playing every minute of every match, Mirco Bergamasco, Alessandro Zanni and Salvatore Perugini

France are the only side in the Championship not to have had a player sent to the sin bin this season whilst the Italians have had two player binned