RWC Match Day Programme France vs Italy

There’s a lot riding on the final match of Pool A in Lyon. Host nation France will want to book their place in the quarter-finals with a perfect four wins from four pool phase matches. For the Azzurri, the equation is simple: a win by seven points or more will extend Kieran Crowley’s spell in charge by one more match. Thank You for Joining us, this is Ultimate Rugby Match Day, the Rugby World cup edition.

Fixture: France vs. Italy  

Venue: Stade de Nice, Nice, France

Kickoff Time: 20:05 (GMT)

Referee: Karl Dickson

Head-to-head Played:

Played: 47

France Wins: 44

Italy: 3

Draws: 0

Rugby World Cup Head-to-Head 

Played: 1

France Wins: 1

Italy Wins: 0

Draws: 0

Points for:

France: 1455

Italy: 552 

Biggest winning margin:

Italy: 32 ( 22 August 1999)

Last Meeting:  5 February 2023 – France 29-24 Italy 17-10  Stadio Olympico, Rome

World Cup Results

Italy

W 52-8  v Namibia

W 38-17 v Uruguay

L 96-17 v New Zealand 

France

W 27-13 v New Zealand

W 27-12 v Uruguay

W 96-0 v Namibia

Referee:  Angus Gardner

Debut as Referee: 2011

Tests as Referee: 41

RWC Games as Referee: 4

Team News:

France: Head coach Fabien Galthié has made just two personnel changes to his starting XV from the side that defeated Namibia last match, with Grégory Alldritt returning to the backrow, Maxime Lucu replacing the injured Antoine Dupont at scrum-half. Nine players who started against Italy in the 2023 Six Nations return to the starting XV, including six in the forward pack. 

Italy: Head coach Kieran Crowley has made five personnel changes and three positional switches to his starting XV from the team that lost 96-17 last game. Simone Ferrari, Hame Faiva and Pietro Ceccarelli form an all-new front-row, while Niccolò Cannone returns to the second-row to partner Federico Ruzza for the second-time at this tournament. 

* This will be the last RWC 2023 match to be played at OL Stadium, with some memorable performances including Wales’ largest ever test victory against Australia (40-6), Uruguay’s come-from-behind win against Namibia (36-26), and Aaron Smith’s first-half hat-trick against Italy to become the first All Black scrum-half to score three tries in a Rugby World Cup match.

*Italy has the quickest ruck speed of any team at RWC 2023, averaging a clearance time of 2.67 seconds. They are up against a French team who has conceded the fastest ruck speed on defence at 3.04 seconds. Expect a fast tempo in this match after France enjoyed 69% and Italy 68% quick ball in their meeting earlier this year.

*Fabien Galthié has never lost a test against Italy as a player or head coach, winning both matches on the field in 1997 and 2001, and all five from the coaches box since 2020. His only career test in Lyon came in 1997 against South Africa, winning 36-32 that day. He won 38 tests as a player between 1991 and 2003, and is on

*In his third Rugby World Cup Kieran Crowley has won more games with Italy at RWC 2023 (2) than across eight games with Canada (1). He played 19 tests for the All Blacks between 1985-1991, including starting against Argentina at RWC 1987, and in their semi-final loss against Australia at RWC 1991. He won three of his four tests against France during his All Blacks career, including scoring his last ever test try against them in Paris in 1990.