By Country / Italy

France 25-13 Italy

France: Tries: A Floch Y Jauzion A Rougerie Cons: D Yachvilli (2) Pens: Yachvilli (2)
Italy: Tries: M Castrogiovanni Cons: A Marcato Pens A Marcato

France laboured to victory that ensured the RBS 6 Nations will go into a final weekend but another staccato performance from Les Bleus will not give Warren Gatland many sleepless nights this week.

France may prevent the Grand Slam but for Wales to come off 20 points worse than their Gallic counterparts in Cardiff next weekend - Italy have got more chance of winning the next World Cup!

Marc Lievremont will be happier after his latest trial of players came up trumps. He may look back on the tournament with the verdict that using 37+ players represents a successful RBS 6 Nations, but in truth another pummelling in the scrum shows there are still lots of cracks and creases that need ironing out before the next set of testing.

Three excellent tries for Anthony Floch, Yannick Jauzion and Aurelien Rougerie couldn’t hide the fact that if Italy possessed a back-line with half of France’s invention then they would’ve undoubtedly claimed their first victory over the holders.

When Martin Castrogiovanni burrowed his way over from a line-out, Italy found themselves five points short but contrasting to previous weeks, the masterful old heads of Jauzion and Dimitri Yachvilli managed to keep a wobbly ship from sinking further into a sea of uncertainty.

Nick Mallett has brought back Marco Bortolami into Italy's second-row as one of four changes to the side murdered by Wales.

Kaine Robertson takes his place on the wing, Andrea Lo Cicero comes in at prop, and Alessandro Zanni replaces the suspended Mauro Bergamasco, who misses out against his Top 14 teammates.

Uncapped Viadana flanker, Jacobus Erasmus is likely to win his first cap from the bench.

Team: 15 Andrea Marcato, 14 Kaine Robertson, 13 Gonzalo Canale, 12 Mirco Bergamasco, 11 Ezio Galon, 10 Andrea Masi, 9 Simon Picone, 8 Sergio Parisse (c), 7 Alessandro Zanni, 6 Josh Sole, 5 Marco Bortolami, 4 Carlo Antonio Del Fava, 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 1 Andrea Lo Cicero.

Replacements: 16 Fabio Ongaro, 17 Carlos Nieto, 18 Salvatore Perugini, 19 Jacobus Erasmus, 20 Pietro Travagli, 21 Enrico Patrizio, 22 Alberto Sgarbi.

Date: Sunday 9 March
Venue: Stade de France, Paris
Kick-off: 16:00 (15:00 GMT)

Mauro Bergamasco has been suspended from all rugby for 13 weeks after being found guilty of ‘gouging’ Lee Byrne during Italy’s 47-8 hammering by Wales.

Bergamasco does have the right of appeal, but there was better news for Italy after Carlo del Fava’s citing from the same match was dismissed.

Jaco Erasmus - he sounds Italian? Apparently Italian enough for Nick Mallett anyway, after The Viadana No.8 was named in Italy’s 22-man training squad alongside the recalled Saracens hooker, Fabio Ongaro.

Another strangely named Italian, Kaine Robertson, is also back in the fold after recovering from injury.

The naughty pair, Mauro Bergamasco and Carlo del Fava, have both been left out pending a disciplinary hearing in London.

Backs: Mirco Bergamasco (Stade Francais), Gonzalo Canale (Clermont-Auvergne), Ezio Galon (Overmach Cariparma), Andrea Masi (Biarritz), Kaine Robertson (Arix Viadana), Andrea Marcato (Treviso), Simon Picone (Treviso), Alberto Sgarbi (Treviso), Enrico Patrizio (Petrarca Padova), Jacobus Erasmus (Montepaschi Viadana), Alessio Galante (Rolly Gran Parma).

Forwards: Martin Castrogiovanni (Leicester), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Calvisano), Andrea Lo Cicero (Racing Metro Paris), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais), Fabio Ongaro (Saracens), Salvatore Perugini (Toulouse), Josh Sole (Arix Viadana), Alessandro Zanni (Calvisano), Marco Bortolami (Gloucester), Carlos Nieto (Gloucester), Pietro Travagli (Overmach Cariparma).

"Cymru am byth” Wales are back with a bang after emphatically crushing Italy in Cardiff.

A scintillating second-half show from the Welsh backs has amplified talk of a Grand Slam.

It was a comprehensive result but there were still too many errors for Shaun Edwards’ liking.

Lee Byrne and Shane Williams ran in two tries apiece and it was hard to choose between the two as man-of-the-match.

Tom Shanklin celebrated his 50^th cap with an interception try while Stephen Jones pulled every string from fly-half and contributed 18 points with his sweet right boot.

Despite all their end endeavour Italy lacked an x-factor to convert all their territorial advantage into points.

Andrea Marcato and Martin Castrogiovanni  typified the Italian performance shwoing glimpses of magic and muscle but Nick Mallett would've been furious with the second half capitulation.

Wales   Tries: S. Williams (2)  L Byrne (2)  T Shanklin  Cons:  S Jones (3) J Hook (2) Pens: Jones (4)
Italy     Tries: M Castrogiovanni Pens: A Marcato