France sent an emphatic Six Nations warning shot to Ireland with a 73-24 destruction of Italy in Rome.
Rampant Les Blues ran in 11 tries in a ruthless demolition job at the Stadio Olimpico to close round three on Sunday, bouncing back from a last-gasp defeat by England that ended their Grand Slam hopes and handed the title initiative to the defending back-to-back champions.
However, France did not let that disappointment linger, swiftly banishing memories of their uncharacteristic profligacy and handling errors in the Twickenham rain a fortnight ago as man-of-the-match Antoine Dupont and the fit-again Leo Barre both helped themselves to braces along with scores from Mickael Guillard, Peato Mauvaka, Paul Boudehent, Gregory Alldritt, Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Theo Attissogbe and Pierre-Louis Barassi, plus eight Thomas Ramos conversions.
It is the most points ever scored by France in a Six Nations game to silence some of the criticism aimed at coach Fabien Galthie after the defeat by England, and the second-most notched by a team in a single match in the 25-year history of the competition, after England scored 80 against Italy back in 2001.
It also revitalised their title hopes before that highly-anticipated showdown with Ireland in Dublin in round four, moving them back up above England - who outlasted Scotland in another one-point win to take back the Calcutta Cup - into second place in the table, three points behind the leaders with now a vastly superior points difference that stretches into the 90s.
Italy managed three tries of their own through centres Tommaso Menoncello and Juan Ignacio Brex and fly-half Paolo Garbisi, but were comprehensively outgunned otherwise in an unwelcome throwback to their previous struggles to dampen the enthusiasm generated following their latest victory over Wales, who will feel that they still have the chance to avoid a second successive wooden spoon after giving Triple Crown-winning Ireland a fright with a resurgent display under temporary boss Matt Sherratt in Cardiff on Saturday.
It was actually the Azzurri who struck first despite their defence being put under siege from the outset and an early Tommaso Allan penalty miss, last year’s Six Nations player of the tournament Menoncello crossing after Barre had seen a score of his own chalked off for a forward pass by Ramos to Attissogbe.
France responded quickly through lock Guillard, with hooker Mauvaka then putting them ahead for the first time following an effective rolling maul after Allan’s kick following an off-the-ball tackle by Boudehent had nudged Italy back in front.
Influential captain Dupont added a third try just minutes later after being set away by the superb Bielle-Biarrey, with Italy’s defence being carved open at will by a fluid French attack.
Brex’s score pulled Italy back to within four points, but that was promptly followed by flanker Boudehent wrapping up a first-half bonus point for France, who had a fifth try on the stroke of half-time as Barre was sent through by Dupont.
France led 35-17 at the interval after a combined seven tries, the most points scored in the first half of a Six Nations match for 24 years.
Number eight Gregory Alldritt piled more misery on Italy quickly after the restart, with Galthie then introducing his forward cavalry to maintain maximum physicality after naming a Springbok-esque 7-1 bench split in Rome.
Bielle-Biarrey was assisted by Attissogbe for the seventh French try, which was followed by Ramos’ only miss from the tee. He made up for it after Dupont charged in for number eight after good work from Yoram Moefana.
Italy gained some brief respite as the Garbisi brothers linked up following a scrum and Paolo converted his own score, but normal service was quickly resumed as Barre went over again after a lovely kick and assist from Bielle-Biarrey.
The subsequent conversion from Ramos took France beyond the 60-point mark, before France’s only back on the bench - scrum-half Maxime Lucu - came on to take over kicking duties, moving Dupont over to fly-half again late on, as happened at Twickenham.
Dupont took a heavy hit in the closing stages, but shrugged it off to continue to dictate a relentless French barrage that produced a 10th try when Attissogbe beat two defenders with some sublime footwork in the right corner.
The scoring blitz was finally capped off in the dying moments by centre Barassi, with Lucu’s missed conversion keeping it at 73 points as France won by 49 to restore confidence before the most important game of the championship and potential title decider at the Aviva Stadium on March 8.
Italy must shrug off the immense disappointment quickly as they go to Twickenham next before hosting Ireland on Super Saturday.
