Italy were magnificent. France were mediocre. The result was a breathless, frantic contest in which the Azzurri capitalised on a red card for Jonathan Danty, the France inside-centre, and so nearly pulled off a historic success against Les Bleus.
The width of a post was the difference when, with the clock in the red, the fly-half Paolo Garbisi struck a penalty kick that drifted against an upright, denying Italy a remarkable victory in agonising fashion. If it had gone between the sticks, they would have had their first Six Nations win in France.
