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France stayed on course for a Grand Slam and back-to-back Six Nations titles with a 33-8 bonus-point victory over Italy in Lille, although the scoreline told only part of the story.
Les Bleus burst out of the blocks at Decathlon Arena, racing into a 19-0 lead inside the opening half hour. Louis Bielle-Biarrey struck in just the fourth minute, continuing his remarkable scoring run, before Emmanuel Meafou powered over after sustained pressure close to the line.
Thomas Ramos, deputising at fly-half, added a third to cap a slick counter-attack and seemingly put the hosts in complete control.
Italy, however, refused to fold. Ange Capuozzo pounced on a loose ball to give the visitors a foothold and Paolo Garbisi’s penalty cut the deficit to 19-8 at the interval.
Either side of half-time, the Azzurri matched France physically and territorially, but handling errors and a misfiring lineout stalled promising positions.
France struggled to find fluency after the break and were frustrated until the closing stages.
The contest finally swung decisively when Louis Lynagh was sin-binned, and debutant Gaël Dréan crossed in the corner to secure the bonus point.
Émilien Gailleton added a fifth soon after, putting the seal on a victory that keeps France firmly on course for championship glory.