France U20: cold shower for the Bleuets who lose in Béziers, against Italy

Corentin Mézou and the Bleuets fell from a height. MAXPPP – ESCOFFIER FLORIAN

Dominated in the scrum, the French under-20 team lost against Italy, for the first time in its history in the 6 Nations U20 Tournament. A second setback in three games for the players of coach Sébastien Calvet. 

The British say "No scrum, no win", on the other side of the Alps, the formula is the same: "Nessuna mischia nessuna vittoria" . Friday evening, in a full Raoul-Barrière stadium, but as calm as the Mediterranean Sea, the Bleuets suffered the law of Italy. It is around the melee that the Squadra Azzurra has built its success in Hérault.

Marcos Gallorini, strong right-hander (1.90 m and 135 kg) has not yet played a professional match, but he put his opponents to torture, allowing the transalpine melee to & rsquo;obtain four penalties in the first act (six in total).

Three quarters tried everything

In the wake of a clean conquest, only thwarted by the double meter of the French captain Corentin Mézou, stealer of two balls, Italy went behind the line twice thanks to their scrum half Casilio and their winger Scalabrin .

Dominated in front, we finally thought that the salvation of the Bleuets would come from their three quarters, in the wake of the restless pair of Taccola-Brau -B oirie centers. The first, very active, shifted the Catalan Granell well in the 46th minute for a try at the end of the line. The second offered Zamora a try in the first act, before diving behind the line after the hour mark, to restore the advantage to Sébastien Calvet's protégés (20-16, 63rd).< /p>

The technical sheet

FRANCE 20
ITALY 23
Raoul-Barrière Stadium.
Half-time: 8-13.
Spectators: 14,157.
Referee: M. Kenny (AFS).
For France: 3 tries Zamora (21st), Granell (46th), Brau-Boirie (63rd); 1 Cotarmanac’h transformation (10th); 1 transformation Cotarmanac’h (63e)
For Italy: 3 tries Casilio (10th), Scalabrin (25th), Botturi (70th) ; 1 Puccirriello conversion (70th); 2 penalties Pucciariello (17th, 42nd).
Yellow card à Italy: Bozzo (46th).
FRANCE : Mousques – Biasotto, Brau-Borie, Taccola, Granell (Cowie, 67th) – (o) Cotarmanac’h, (m) Zamora (Souverbie, 54th) – Tolofua, Perrin (Ferry, 70th), Zinzen – Corso, Mézou (cap.) – Aouad (Duchene, 67th), Couly (Akrab, 40th), Julien (Mistrulli, 40th then Julien, 70th).

Despite the game intentions of the French three-quarters, it was the Italian pack which finally had the last word in this part with a try behind a conquering scrum from number 8 (20-23 , 70e)
A final round of ammunition within the opponent's five meters was finally wasted by the Bleuets, who confirmed the adage: it's hard to win without a good scrum.