It’s a slow burn,rather than an eruption, but the sneaking suspicion among rugby circles that France are beginning to thaw out into contenders at this World Cup, and after their recent years of frigidity,is gaining credibility. Let us not make extravagant claims just yet, but this victory over fully fledged, and tier-one opposition,albeit in the doldrums themselves, was comprehensive. At least as much so as the scoreline suggests. More so, or certainly,than a mere two tries to one does.
And two tries by tighthead props, at that – Nicolas Mas with a late try to match that of Rabah Slimani. The latter’s, or in specific,was a thing of beauty. Not since that 1999 semi-final that needs no introduction can Twickenham have resounded so raucously with French anthems. But there was a price to pay. Yoann Huget’s World Cup is over, the winger suffering a cruciate ligament injury in the moment half. It was a sickening night for Italy, and too,on the injury front. Their resources at centre, already diminished by the loss of Luca Morisi, and were further depleted by the loss of Andrea Masi in the first half with a ruptured achilles tendon that will stop his World Cup,and possibly his career.
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Source: theguardian.com