France bounced back from humiliation against England with a seven-try win over Italy as the Azzurri claimed their seventh Wooden Spoon in 10 years.

France led 6-3 midway through the first half but tries from Sebastien Chabal, Francois Trinh-Duc and Maxime Meydard gave them a decisive lead in Rome.

Cedric Heymans and Thomas Domingo added further tries after the break.

Sergio Parisse scored Italy’s first try in over five hours of action but Medard and Julien Malzieu completed the rout.

Frederic Michalak, who came on as a replacement for his first cap since 2007, missed the final three conversion attempts, any of which would seen France surpass their record Six Nations win over Italy – 56-13 in Rome in 2005.

After their demolition by old rivals England last weekend, France were determined to return to winning ways.

Italy have never beaten their continental neighbours in the Six Nations, making them the perfect opponents for the bruised men in blue, and the French started with intent at the Stadio Flaminio.

Italy secured plenty of possession in the opening stages but, as they have all tournament, their backs struggled to create much of note.

France looked much more fluid with ball in hand and despite playing against a strong breeze they took an early 6-0 lead through two penalties from scrum-half Morgan Parra.

Italy full-back Andrea Marcato missed his first chance to trim the gap but, after the hosts’ kicking game had pinned France back in their own half, he landed a second penalty attempt to make it 6-3 after 22 minutes.
France backs coach Emile Ntamack predicts bright future for Les Bleus
However, Jauzion immediately claimed a towering kick ahead of Italy scrum-half Paul Griffen and when the ball was fed to Chabal on the 22, he battered his way through an attempted tackle from Griffen to claim a typically bullocking score and set France on their way.

The pallid French side of seven days ago was rejuvenated and they soon added a spectacular brace of tries.

Trinh-Duc claimed the first, dummying his way past Mauro Bergamasco on halfway and stepping inside Griffen before out-pacing the cover to the line.

The hapless Griffen then failed to claim a kick ahead and Thierry Dusautoir powered 30m before feeding Medard to canter over untouched.

Parra added two conversions and France’s 25-3 half-time lead was extended within two minutes of the restart.

In a desperate attempt to regain some pride Italy tried to attack from inside their own 22 but when flanker Mauro Bergamasco attempted a grubber kick, the ball fell to Heymans and the wing romped over for a simple try.
Italy coach Nick Mallett furious with Azzurri display
Parra converted and added a penalty to give France a 35-3 lead and they added a fifth try when Domingo stretched over from close range.

Their chances of victory had long since gone but Italy attacked with passion and were rewarded when captain Parisse, who played superbly in a losing cause, went over.

But France always looked by far the more dangerous side and they rounded things off with further tries in the last 10 minuets from Medard and Malzieu.

It was Les Bleus’ first away win since coach Marc Lievremont’s first game in charge, the opening game of their 2008 Six Nations campaign at Murrayfield.

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France coach Marc Lievremont:
“The important thing was to finish the Six Nations tournament with a win and we achieved that.

“It’s a deserved victory with a good first half and a second period that was a little harder going.

“Of course this doesn’t completely make up for the blow we received at Twickenham six days ago but at the same time it was reassuring to finish on this note.”

Italy boss Nick Mallett:
“I’ll be meeting with the (Italian rugby federation) president (Giancarlo Dondi) this week to have a long talk with him but it’s quite clear that we need to improve the standard of play to actually compete at the Six Nations.

“We are going on tour to Tri-Nations countries, to Australia and New Zealand, and that’s going to be very difficult for Italy.

“I’m quite prepared to take the blame for my team, it’s my responsibility but it would be naive to think that by criticising the head coach and by criticising the players you are going to make things better.

“I think we need to look at much much deeper issues in Italian rugby that need to change for us to be really competitive instead of one-off competitive.”

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Italy: Marcato; Rubini, Canale, Mi Bergamasco, Pratichetti; McLean, Griffen; Parisse, Ma Bergamasco, Zanni, Bortolami, Dellape, Nieto, Ghiraldini, Perugini.

Replacements: Quartaroli for Pratichetti (48), Orquera for McLean (72), Canavosio for Griffen (66), Sole for Bortolami (68), Del Fava for Dellape (54), Castrogiovanni for Nieto (58).

Not Used: Sbaraglini.

France: Traille; Medard, Fritz, Jauzion, Heymans; Trinh-Duc, Parra; Harinordoquy, Bonnaire, Dusautoir, Chabal, Nallet, Marconnet, Szarzewski, Barcella.

Replacements: Bastareaud for Fritz (60), Malzieu for Heymans (71), Michalak for Parra (52), Picamoles for Harinordoquy (63), Thion for Nallet (71), Domingo for Marconnet (50), Servat for Szarzewski (52).

Att: 27,650

Ireland recovered from a slow start to claim a magnificent win over a battling France side in a thrilling RBS Six Nations opener at Croke Park.

Imanol Harinordoquy’s early score helped France into a 7-3 lead but Tommy Bowe’s break set up a Jamie Heaslip try which turned the game Ireland’s way.

Leading 13-10 at the break, Brian O’Driscoll’s try extended Ireland’s lead only for Maxime Medard to reply.

But Gordon D’Arcy’s late try finally broke French resolve.

After the earlier lacklustre encounter at Twickenham, this contest lit up the Six Nations and the 80,000 plus crowd in Dublin as Ireland claimed their first win in seven attempts against the French.

O’Gara struck Ireland ahead with a third-minute penalty but France quickly regrouped to put the home side under pressure.

France’s gameplan was clear. They were determined to run at the opposition defence and the Irish were rescued in the seventh minute when Thierry Dusautoir knocked on just short of the line.

More French attacks followed but desperate Irish defence, and a couple of impressive catches by Rob Kearney, kept the visitors at bay.

But the French got their reward as another typically sweeping move was finished off by the recalled Harinordoquy in the 14th minute, although there was a hint of a forward pass by Julien Malzieu.

Beauxis added the conversion to put France 7-3 ahead.

O’Gara’s penalty, straight after the restart, left only a point between the teams but France were controlling the game with the Irish living off scraps.

A tight forward drive into French territory yielded a chance to gave the Irish an undeserved lead in the 31st minute but O’Gara was off-target from 45 metres.

But Ireland were suddenly ahead on 34 minutes as Bowe’s break put the French defence on the backfoot.

Paul O’Connell’s quick pass kept the move going and the impressive Heaslip weaved his way past two challenges to charge over the French line.

O’Gara’s conversion increased Ireland’s lead to 13-7 as the home side held the initiative for the first time in the match.

If the French were rattled, they weren’t showing it and a Sebastien Chabal charge had the Irish defence backpedalling a minute later.

On the stroke of half-time, Lionel Beauxis struck a drop-goal which cut the Irish lead to three points at the break.

The first score after the break went to the Irish as O’Driscoll brushed past Beauxis’ poor tackle to score the kind of try which was been missing from the Irish captain’s armoury in recent times.

O’Gara’s conversion extended the Irish lead to 20-10 as the home side appeared to have seized the initiative.

But once again, French responded as Harinordoquy pounced on some scrappy Irish play to set up an attack finished off by Medard’s try.

The French winger touched down after getting the luck of the bounce from Beauxis’ chip over the home defence.

Beauxis missed the conversion but his second drop-goal of the day cut Ireland’s lead to 20-18.

But just as the match threatened to slip away from Irish, they responded to strike the decisive blow.

A forwards drive saw the home side move deep into French territory and the attack was finished off by replacement D’Arcy sniping his way over the line to celebrate his return to the international stage.

O’Gara’s conversion extended Ireland’s lead to 27-18 but there was only a score between the teams when Beauxis landed a penalty four minutes from time.

At that stage, memories of Vincent Clerc’s late try two years ago loomed large for Irish fans but O’Gara’s immediate penalty eased home nerves.

Ireland: Kearney; Bowe, B O’Driscoll (capt), P Wallace, Fitzgerald; O’Gara, O’Leary; Horan, Flannery, Hayes, O’Callaghan, O’Connell, Ferris, D Wallace, Heaslip.
Replacements: R Best for Flannery (49), Court, O’Kelly, Leamy, Stringer, D’Arcy for Wallace (63)
Not Used: Court, O’Kelly, Leamy, Stringer, Murphy.

France: Poitrenaud; Malzieu, Fritz, Jauzion, Medard; Beauxis, Tillous-Borde; Faure, Szarzewski, Lecouls, Chabal, Nallet; Dusautoir, Ouedraogo, Harinordoquy.
Replacements: Kayser for Szarzewski (58), Mas for Lecouls (40), Millo-Chluski for Chabal (62), Picamoles for Harinordoquy (71), Parra for Tillous-Borde (68)
Not Used:Baby, Heymans.

Att: 82,000

Referee: N Owens (Wales)

France’s caps record holder and former captain Fabien Pelous looks set to announce his international retirement on Wednesday, after announcing he was to hold a press conference at the French Rugby Federation headquarters.

The Toulouse lock, who will turn 34 on December 7, won the last of his 118 caps in the World Cup semi-final defeat by England last month, but while he has not said what he is announcing.

Even his club did not learn of the press conference until Monday, it appears likely that he will bring down the curtain on a stellar international career.

Pelous, who has not played for Toulouse this season because of a rib injury suffered in the defeat by England, was a member of the French side that reached the 1999 World Cup final, losing to Australia, and two successive semi-finals, both times losing to the English.

Aside from that Pelous – who made his debut in 1995 – won four Six Nations Grand Slams, and with his club won two European Cups and two national titles.

His contract with Toulouse concludes at the end of this season.

Former France flanker Marc Lievremont has been named coach of the nation’s rugby team on a four-year deal.

 
The French Rugby Federation announced that Lievremont would succeed Bernard Laporte, who joined the government on Monday as a junior minister for sport.

Lievremont will be assisted by another former France star Emile Ntamack, who will coach the backs, while Didier Retiere will look after the forwards.

Lievremont, 38, the former Dax coach, won 25 France caps between 1995-1999.

“I realise that I am at the centre of a lot of attention and of hopes for the future,” he said.

“I also understand that some people are disappointed, legitimately or not, but I consider myself to be a man with convictions surrounding both the sport and on the human front.

“I have not asked for anything from anyone. I respect all the coaches who were viable candidates for the post, but it is not for me to justify what has happened.”

The appointment was heavily supported by Bernard Lapasset, the outgoing president of the French Rugby Federation and new president of the International Rugby Board, but not by Serge Blanco.

Blanco, the former French full-back and now president of the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR), said a comprehensive review was needed of the World Cup and Laporte’s eight-year reign before a new coach was selected.

“I don’t know why the LNR was not consulted about this,” said Blanco, who is favourite to replace Lapasset.

However, Lapasset rejected Blanco’s criticism.

“These nominations are part of a four-year plan,” he said. “This is not an individual choice but a long-term project and was discussed with the other coaches of professional rugby teams.

“This is not a dictator’s decree, taken exclusively by me.”

Lapasset added that while both Lievremont and Ntamack lacked experience they had the vital quality that they knew the young generation of French players well.

“It is important that the French squad integrates the young players coming through,” said Lapasset.

“And it is they who know them best and who guided them to the Under-21 world title (in June 2006).”

Jean-Claude Skrela, the technical director of French rugby, said: “Marc Lievremont is a real player, a winner who never lets go and he knows the players in the French championship well.

“He was the ideal candidate for what is a turning point for French rugby.”

Lievremont, whose last international was the 1999 World Cup final defeat against Australia, will work alongside Jo Maso, who stays on in his role of team manager.

Other candidates thought to be under consideration for the coaching job were Toulouse’s Guy Noves, Stade Francais chief Fabien Galthie and Sale Sharks boss Philippe Saint-Andre.

The 37-year-old Ntamack made 46 appearances for France from 1994 to 2000. He and Retiere were the joint coaches of the France Under-21 side that won the world title last year.

France, who won the Six Nations four times under Laporte, finished fourth in the World Cup on home soil after being knocked out by England in the semi-finals and losing to Argentina in the play-off.

Argentina powered to a convincing victory over France to claim third place in the Rugby World Cup on Friday.

The Pumas, the revelation of the tournament, ran in five tries to snuff out French hopes of revenge for their opening-match defeat last month.

Argentina scored through Felipe Contepomi and Omar Hasan in a fractious first half for 17-3 at the break.

Further scores from Federico Aramburu, Ignacio Corleto and Contepomi heaped further embarrassment on France.

Full-back Clement Poitrenaud scored a late consolation for Bernard Laporte’s side but Argentina made it six wins out of seven against the French following their 17-12 victory in the pool stages.

“If we’d scored earlier we could have done things differently. But hats off to Argentina, they’ve had a superb World Cup,” said France manager Jo Maso.

The third-place play-off is often dubbed “the match that no-one wants” but both sides came out brimming with passion.

France were bright and vibrant and willing to play far more rugby than the territory-dominated kick-fests of their last two matches.

Les Bleus, with nine changes from the semi-final against England, enjoyed several promising early attacks before centre David Marty touched down, only to be called back after Aurelien Rougerie’s quick line-out was deemed illegal.

Argentina, who had made five changes from their defeat by South Africa, were intent on spoiling France’s farewell party and took on the hosts, toe-to-toe at times, as sporadic fighting marked the first quarter.

Jean-Baptiste Elissalde and Felipe Contepomi traded kicks before the fired-up French crossed again, though this time flanker Yannick Nyanga was called back for a forward pass.

But Argentina turned up the gas on an already heated encounter when they demonstrated the effectiveness of their free-flowing rugby with two tries in four minutes.

Felipe Contepomi sliced over first after good timing down the Pumas backs, before Hasan burrowed over following a piece of good fortune when the ball bounced back off the posts from Juan Martin Hernandez’s drop-goal attempt.

Contepomi’s conversion made it 17-3 to Argentina and the Pumas did well to resist a heavy late barrage at their line.

France went close to narrowing the gap but Yannick Nyanga dropped the ball diving for the line.

But both sides went in with 14 men after France skipper Raphael Ibanez and Argentine lock Rimas Alvarez were sin-binned in a bad-tempered end to the half.

Ten minutes after the break, France found themselves further behind when Corleto broke the line and linked with Manuel Contepomi, who quickly fed the ball through the hands of Patricio Albacete, Hernandez and Alvarez before Aramburu scampered over in the right corner.

France glimpsed a moment of salvation when Argentine replacement Juan Manuel Leguizamon was sin-binned for a shoulder charge on French substitute Sebastien Chabal.

But all hope was extinguished when Horacio Agulla attacked from his own 22 and fed Corleto, who hared home from 60 yards out into the left corner.

France scored a consolation through Poitrenaud on 68 minutes and looked to be finishing strongly but Argentina refused to wilt and worked in Felipe Contepomi for a fifth try with four minutes left.

Argentina’s second victory in five weeks over the Six Nations champions made their case even stronger for inclusion into one of the world’s major rugby tournaments.

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France: Poitrenaud, Rougerie, Marty, Skrela, Dominici, Michalak, Elissalde; Poux, Ibanez, De Villiers, Nallet, Thion, Nyanga, Dusautoir, Harinordoquy.
Replacements: Bruno, Mas, Chabal, Martin, Mignoni, Beauxis, Clerc.

Argentina: Corleto; Aramburu, M Contepomi, F Contepomi, Agulla; JM Hernandez, Pichot; Roncero, Vernet Basualdo, Hasan, Alvarez Kairelis, Albacete, Durand, JM Fernandez Lobbe, Longo Elia.
Replacements: Ayerza, Guinazu, Lozada, Leguizamon, Fernandez Miranda, Todeschini, Senillosa