Supposedly this was a question of how many tries France would score; how quickly they would emulate the bonus-point victory achieved by Ireland against Wales on Saturday. As it turned out, a coherent and brave effort by Italy on a sodden afternoon in Paris made it more difficult than expected.
For all the talk of a “New England” and despite their 27-point defeat, perhaps it is Kieran Crowley’s Italy who are starting afresh. They were ultimately overwhelmed by the tournament favourites’ intensity and muscle, and Gabin Villière’s hat-trick, but can be proud of how they competed.
