STAR RUGBY PREVIEW Sun: France v Italy

If the results of this year’s Six Nations are to go by, then don’t take anything for granted when France host Italy today, writes WILLIAM KEDJANYI.

Yesterday Ireland, given a double-digit handicap before kick off, posted a record win at Twickenham to stun England and leave the Red Rose reeling whilst 9/1 shots Wales outplayed Scotland for the majority of their clash in Cardiff yesterday, losing out by just three points in a thrilling finish.

France are even shorter to make it 3/3 against Italy after dominant wins against Ireland (36-14, at the Stade de France) and Wales (12-52, at the Principality) with the form of those performances looking a lot better after yesterday’s results for all that Ireland and Wales have improved rapidly since.

The French are just 1/25 for the championship and 4/11 with starsports.bet to complete a Grand Slam, and Fabien Galthie’s side look to be playing to a much higher standard than in the autumn for all that it would be unwise for them to take Italy for granted.

The French were astonishing 73-24 winners in Rome last year, but this Azzuri outfit continues to improve under Gonzalo Quesada. They handled the conditions and the occasion better than Scotland in an 18-15 opening weekend win and they pushed Ireland extremely hard at the Aviva last week, getting the better of the scrum battle in particular whilst also keeping the Irish defence occupied thanks in particular to Tommaso Menoncello in the centre, although wingers Monty Ioane and Louis Lynagh carried plenty of threat and Michele Lamaro gave a captain’s performance.

They will need to find another level to contest with France, but there’s little doubt that their performances so far are of a higher all-round standard than 2024, and this will be another chance to see where their level is.

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🇫🇷 France v Italy 🇮🇹  
Guinness 2026 Six Nations, Round 3
Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille
15.10 ITV 1 HD / ITV X / BBC Radio 5 Live

 STARSPORTS.BET MATCH MARKETS 

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The French, who will be hoping that today’s encounter is less stressful than the match between these teams in Lille, when Italy should have won but for a late missed penalty, have been forced into a big change as fly-half Mathieu Jalibert has been ruled out due to a calf injury, meaning that Thomas Ramos will replace him at 10, a position he’s played with aplomb for Toulouse on many occasions. The backline will be no less speedy – new winger Gael Drean has 12 tries for Toulon this season, Theo Attissogbe has three tries already and plenty of fullback experience for Pau, and what more can be said about Louis Bielle-Biarrey?

It’s possible to make a case for both sides of a 24-point starsports.bet handicap but an extended handicap of 27.5 points might be slightly too generous to the Italians, who fronted up seriously well in Dublin and have more strength in depth.

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Teams

🇫🇷 France: 15 Théo Attissogbe, 14 Gaël Dréan, 13 Émilien Gailleton, 12 Fabien Brau-Boirie, 11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 10 Thomas Ramos, 9 Antoine Dupont (c), 8 Anthony Jelonch, 7 Oscar Jegou, 6 François Cros, 5 Emmanuel Meafou, 4 Thibaud Flament, 3 Dorian Aldegheri, 2 Julien Marchand, 1 Jean-Baptiste Gros

Replacements: 16 Peato Mauvaka, 17 Rodrigue Neti, 18 Georges-Henri Colombe, 19 Charles Ollivon, 20 Mickaël Guillard, 21 Léo Nouchi, 22 Baptiste Serin, 23 Pierre-Louis Barassi

🇮🇹 Italy: 15 Ange Capuozzo, 14 Louis Lynagh, 13 Tommaso Menoncello, 12 Leonardo Marin, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Alessandro Fusco, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Manuel Zuliani, 6 Michele Lamaro (c), 5 Andrea Zambonin, 4 Niccolò Cannone, 3 Simone Ferrari, 2 Giacomo Nicotera, 1 Danilo Fischetti

Replacements: 16 Pablo Dimcheff, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Giosuè Zilocchi, 19 Federico Ruzza, 20 Riccardo Favretto, 21 David Odiase, 22 Alessandro Garbisi, 23 Paolo Odogwu

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PROFIT/LOSS (FEB 2026): +5.65 points

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