MARSEILLE, Friday: Mathieu Bastareaud celebrated his return to the France side following a three-week ban for a homophobic slur with a try in Friday’s 34-17 Six Nations victory over Italy.
Missing the suspended tournament top try-scorer Teddy Thomas, France, who laboured for long periods before Italy typically crumbled late on, won for the first time in nine matches and 11 months.
Italy set their worst run in the competition of 15 straight defeats going back three years.
In what was billed the battle to avoid the wooden spoon after both sides had suffered two tournament defeats each so far, Bastareaud was key in creating one try and scoring another in an otherwise uninspiring affair that failed to light up a stadium more used to hosting football matches.
Tries from Paul Gabrillagues, Hugo Bonneval and Bastareaud proved enough for France as Maxime Machenaud kicked 17 points, although the hosts missed out on an attacking bonus.
Italy scored a penalty try and a late breakaway effort through Matteo Minozzi but too often found themselves dominated at the breakdown and forced into giving away cheap penalties.
Having conceded more than 100 points in their opening two matches, Italy captain Sergio Parisse had spoken on Thursday of the need to keep things tight early on and not give up easy scores.
But their resistance lasted just five minutes after giving away a penalty that France kicked to the corner before a driving maul was stopped short, only for Gabrillagues to scoop up the ball and stretch out his long arms to touch down.
Four minutes later, the Azzurri went straight up the other end, kicked a penalty to touch themselves and then drove over Maxime MBanda for an equalising score.
English referee Wayne Barnes called in the television match official as there was a doubt over whether the flanker had grounded the ball.
Barnes decided not but awarded Italy a penalty try anyway for France collapsing the maul and the visitors led 7-5.
On 29 minutes, Machenaud made up for his earlier conversion miss by giving France an 8-7 lead with a penalty.
Another Machenaud penalty on the stroke of half-time gave France an 11-7 lead in a poor half in which the fans seemed more interested in performing Mexican waves.
France scored within two minutes of the restart but after quick hands from Bastareaud sent Lionel Beauxis scampering into space, the fly-half wasted a three-man overlap with a poor pass that went to ground.
Under pressure in defence, though, Italy gave away a penalty right in front of the posts that Machenaud easily slotted over. - AFP
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