It is an understatement to say that France did not tremble against Italy. The Blues were masters of their meeting from start to finish, or almost, calmly qualifying for the quarter-finals of the World Cup, facing pale Transalpines. In Lyon, the Galthié gang rolled out and even achieved a historic victory. At 31-0 at half-time, the mass was already said, but, even if the intensity decreased as the match progressed, Damian Penaud and his teammates continued to play their rugby to mark with a hot iron this last match of chicken.
How far away, even very far away, it seemed, the time when the XV of France displayed a certain reluctance in the face of the Nazionale. However, it was last February, during the VI Nations Tournament, and a narrow 24-29 victory. This time, it was the Blues confident in their strength, taking advantage of the many Italian mistakes, who sent a strong signal before the final phase of the competition… and broke a record.
Indeed, by winning 60-7, the Tricolores won their biggest victory against Italy in an official match. The previous record dates back to March 26, 1967. That day, France comfortably won in Toulon 60-13, during a test match. After marching on Namibia (94-0) with their biggest victory in the World Cup, the French established a new record, further affirming their status as the second team in the world rankings.