Six Nations 2021: Italy v France preview & key stats

2020 player of the tournament Antoine Dupont will partner Matthieu Jalibert in the half-backs on Saturday

France head to Italy in the opening match of the 2021 Six Nations on Saturday, looking to go one better than last year's second-place finish.

Les Bleus finished behind champions England on points difference and were also runners-up to Eddie Jones' side in the Autumn Nations Cup.

They will start as strong favourites to inflict a 28th consecutive Six Nations defeat on Italy.

Azzurri head coach Franco Smith is still looking for his first win.

He has named a youthful squad with 10 of the starting XV having fewer than 10 caps.

Gloucester's Stephen Varney, 19, who chose Italy over Wales as he qualifies through his mother, starts at scrum-half.

Paolo Garbisi, 20, who has held the number 10 shirt since the resumption of international rugby in October, will join Varney in a youthful half-back pairing.

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Matthieu Jalibert starts at fly-half for France in the absence of last season's Six Nations leading points scorer Romain Ntamack, who is recovering from a double jaw fracture.

Jalibert will link up with 2020 player of the tournament Antoine Dupont at half-back, while Arthur Vincent starts at outside centre in the absence of powerful runner Virimi Vakatawa.

Skipper Charles Ollivon, the leading try-scorer in the 2020 Six Nations, features in a back-row which also includes Gregory Alldritt, the number eight who has recovered ahead of schedule from a knee problem.

Commentator's notes

Eddie Butler: So very much is expected of France… it must be hard to protect their ears from the songs of praise about how brilliant they are soon going to be.

Always sweeter, of course, than the sounds of 'rubbish', but perhaps praise can come before a fall.

There's no Romain Ntamack and no Virimi Vakatawa coming at an angle on to his number 10's short passes.

It might be more difficult than it appears. But France are too good not to find a way to see off an Italian team young enough to be their children. France to win, but maybe not in the grand manner. Italy 18 France 26.

View from both camps

Italy head coach Franco Smith: "We will face with courage the France that showed its qualities during the last Six Nations and the Autumn Nations Cup."

France head coach Fabien Galthie on fly-half Matthieu Jalibert: "He is ready. Like this team, he has gained experience, in club rugby and the French team. He is getting stronger, he is finding his feet."

Line-ups

Italy: 15-Jacopo Trulla; 14-Luca Sperandio, 13-Marco Zanon, 12-Juan Ignacio Brex, 11-Montanna Ioane; 10-Paolo Garbisi, 9-Stephen Varney; 1-Cherif Traore, 2-Luca Bigi (capt), 3-Marco Riccioni; 4-Marco Lazzaroni, 5-David Sisi; 6-Sebastian Negri, 7-Johan Meyer, 8-Michele Lamaro

Replacements: 16-Gianmarco Lucchesi, 17-Danilo Fischetti, 18-Giosue Zilocchi, 19-Niccolo Cannone, 20-Federico Ruzza, 21-Maxime Mbanda, 22-Guglielmo Palazzani, 23-Carlo Canna

France: 15-Brice Dulin; 14-Teddy Thomas, 13-Arthur Vincent, 12-Gael Fickou, 11-Gabin Villiere; 10-Matthieu Jalibert, 9-Antoine Dupont; 1-Cyril Baille, 2-Julien Marchand, 3-Mohamed Haouas, 4-Bernard Le Roux; 5-Paul Willemse, 6-Dylan Cretin; 7-Charles Ollivon (capt), 8-Gregory Alldritt

Replacements: 16-Pierre Bourgarit, 17-Jean-Baptiste Gros, 18-Dorian Aldeghiri, 19-Romain Taofifenua, 20-Anthony Jeronch, 21-Baptiste Serin, 22-Louis Carbonel, 23-Damian Penaud

Match facts

Head-to-head

• Italy have lost seven consecutive Six Nations meetings since a 23-18 triumph in 2013.

• They have beaten France just twice in Six Nations history and have lost their last 10 against Les Bleus in all competitions.

Italy

• Italy have been whitewashed in each of the last five Six Nations.

• They conceded an average of five tries per game en route to finishing bottom last season.

• Paolo Garbisi became the first player born since the Six Nations began to score a Championship try when he crossed against Ireland in October last year.

France

• France won eight of their 10 Tests in 2020.

• Charles Ollivon was the tournament's top try-scorer last year - his tally of four tries was the joint-highest by a forward in Six Nations history, level with Imanol Harinordoquy in 2000.

• France had three of the top four tacklers in the 2020 tournament, led by Bernard Le Roux's 84.

Match officials

Referee: Matthew Carley (England)

Touch judges: Mike Adamson (Scotland) & Christophe Ridley (England)

TMO: Karl Dickson (England)