Carlo Del Fava
Former Italy lock on BBC One

"Italy just need to raise their intensity. I think they've identified it is not a French team completely in form or on their game and they need to take advantage and make their way down the field."

Andy Nicol
Former Scotland scrum-half on BBC One

"This is just a comedy of errors from both sides. There are mistakes every phase."

Possession is turning over at a startling rate. Neither side can string more than a handful of passes together. Sebastien Tillous-Borde is charged down before Luca Morisi's bulleted inside pass is spilled forward.

Image source, Reuters

Lads, lads, lads. How?

Wrong flight dates I could just about understand, but wrong tickets?

The Italian for England is Inghilterra. It is not rocket science.

Carlo Del Fava
Former Italy lock on BBC One

"It is a bit greasy underfoot, the ball is wet and bouncing about. The players have to adjust their line of running and stand closer to their inside man."

Italy's front row have forced up their French counterparts at scrum time. It is like two tectonic plates coming together down there. At the reset a rattled Sebastien Tillous-Borde's put-in is crooked and Italy have a free-kick.

Andy Nicol
Former Scotland scrum-half on BBC One

Image source, Getty Images

"It's certainly not been a kicking masterclass. Three kickers, none have been successful. Can we have somebody else up next time please?"

No need for the scorers to sharpen their pencils yet. Scott Spedding gives it a wallop, but the flags refuse to rise as his kick drops wide.

France will now take a pot-shot at goal. Scott Spedding has a lot to do for this penalty, back on the Italy 10m and out at the angle.

Andy Nicol
Former Scotland scrum-half on BBC One

"When I saw this fixture I expected the sun to be out and for there to be plenty of fast open rugby. Instead it is freeing cold, wet and the first 20 minutes have been full of mistakes. It is 0-0 and it really feels like a 0-0."

JP Doyle is doing the French the courtesy of issuing his commands in some pigeon Franglais. Not many referees bother with that, except for show-off Alain Rolland, who is half French anyway.

Not a whole lot going on on the pitch. Bits and piece in midfield, pockmarked by errors.

Nathan Cutcliffe:, external ‏Why can no Italian kick a rugby ball ! Jesus !

IG:, external Italy's goal kicking is dreadful

Andy Nicol
Former Scotland scrum-half on BBC One

"I think Luciano Orquera is the best kicker of the three. The crowd were celebrating, but they were celebrating too early and the ball bounced back out into French hands."

Luciano Orquera gets an immediate chance to prove he can cut the mustard off the tee.

He gets out a hefty club to wallop for the sticks after Sergio Parisse is taken out in the air. It has the legs, but a late bit of hook takes it onto the post and out.

Andy Nicol
Former Scotland scrum-half on BBC One

"Tommaso Allan was clearly not comfortable, you can see that by taking one look at him. He's limping, he couldn't have carried on. The good thing is that normally when you get down to a third-choice player coming on you'd think there would be a drop in standard, but I don't think that is the case here."

Italy are down to the third fly-half in less than 24 hours. Tommaso Allan is hobbling to the sidelines having failed to recover from his hamstring tweak. Luciano Orquera is on.

Andy Nicol
Former Scotland scrum-half on BBC One

Image source, AP

"The ball is very wet and it is affecting the handling. What will go a long way to determining who wins this game is the team that controls the ball here today."

It is a bar of soap out there. France in particular are looking jittery with the ball in hand. Another knock-on, another scrum and Italy are winning the set-piece.

Al Kitching:, external ‏The boys in the Edison family have all done really well, haven't they?

An illuminating tweet there Al...

Italy are playing the percentages very cannily. A dribbler of a kick in behind the France line forces Maxime Mermoz to fly-hack into touch and concede a line-out on his own 22m line.