France vs. Italy: 5 Key Battles That Will Shape 2016 RBS 6 Nations Clash
France and Italy meet in Paris on Saturday to get the 2016 RBS Six Nations rugby under way, with both sides having plenty to prove.
The French were humbled during the 2015 Rugby World Cup, qualifying out of their group behind Ireland before being hammered by one of the most awesome displays on record from New Zealand in the quarter-finals.
It marked the end of a turbulent tenure in charge for Philippe Saint-Andre, and long-serving Toulouse coach Guy Noves is now the man at the top.
His success with the club has long placed Noves among the most highly respected coaches in the European game, although his team faded somewhat in recent years with the rise of Toulon and Clermont Auvergne.
Italy are in a bit of a state, with a coach near the end of his job and a replacement already reportedly lined up, per the Telegraph's Gavin Mairs. The team are looking to bounce back after their failure to make much of a mark at the World Cup.
The Azzurri should provide Noves with the perfect start to his time in control of the France national side.
Here are the key battles that will decide this one.
1. Virimi Vakatawa vs. Leonardo Sarto
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France have been bold in their selection, with four new caps and only five players surviving that World Cup quarter-final mauling at the hands of New Zealand.
Noves has put his faith in Fijian-born sevens star Virimi Vakatawa to bring some adventure to the back line.
The new wing man will be up against Leonardo Sarto, who has more experience at this level but also loves to run.
We await their first one-on-one at the Stade de France to see who has the other’s measure.
2. The Front-Row Battle
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France have culled many of the players involved in their embarrassing World Cup defeat to the All Blacks, but the front row trio remains intact.
That means Italy debutant Andrea Lovotti will be coming up against the fearsome Rabah Slimani.
The Stade Francais tighthead was the best No. 3 in the Top 14 last season and will relish the chance to dominate his inexperienced rival.
It is a gamble for Italy to pitch such inexperience in against the French pack.
Despite the Azzurri’s famed reputation for plenty of grunt up front, stepping up to world level for the first time takes some adjustment, and it may well be a baptism of fire for Lovotti.
Should Slimani make mincemeat of his opponent, France will be on the front foot from the word go.
3. Louis Picamoles vs. Sergio Parisse
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Two greats of the European game face off in Paris with Toulouse veteran Louis Picamoles going up against Stade Francais legend Sergio Parisse.
Neither man has anything left to prove, but each has a vital role to play on Saturday.
At his best, Parisse has often made many around him play above themselves, and he inspired Italy to those few, famous wins they have recorded in the Six Nations.
Picamoles is France’s key ball carrier, especially with the omission of centre Mathieu Bastareaud, and he will need to make the yards for his team at close quarters to keep his pack in the ascendancy.
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4. Jules Plisson vs. Carlo Canna
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France’s fly-half position has been a revolving door for too long. A combination of injuries and loss of form has seen any one of Jules Plisson, Freddie Michalak, Francois Trinh-Duc and Remi Tales take the reins in recent years.
Plisson is back in the hot seat for the start of the Six Nations championship, and he faces an inexperienced opposite number in the shape of Carlo Canna.
Italy have tried a whopping 14 players in the shirt since the 2003 retirement of the great Diego Dominguez, per the Telegraph. Canna makes it 15.
The man from Zebre has a lot to do behind a pack that may well be going backwards for much of the afternoon in the French capital.
If there is an armchair out there on Saturday, expect Plisson to be the man sitting in it.
5. The Coaches Battle
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This is a clash between the new broom and the death-row inmate.
Guy Noves is the man French fans hope will bring back the best of their rugby traditions after a glittering career at the helm of Toulouse, but Sky Sports pundit Stuart Barnes thinks not:
"Guy Noves did glorious things in the first half of his Toulouse reign but for the last three years not only have they won nothing, they have played with all the style and grace of the national team.
All evidence suggests he will play it big and slow as France have for many a braying-donkey year. France have been the most predictable of all the six nations, big, slow and disappointing.
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Meanwhile, Italy’s Frenchman, Jacques Brunel, looks to be on borrowed time. With Conor O’Shea declaring this will be his last season in charge of Harlequins, the Irishman has been heavily linked with Brunel’s job.
On Saturday, we will discover if Brunel has managed to rally his men and motivate them to have a real go at a transitional French outfit, or whether Noves has found the key to Les Bleus’ shackles and will set them loose at the Stade de France.
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