France 3 Italy 3 LIVE: Both sides have got off to a flying start in this mouth-watering clash

FRANCE are looking for Six Nations glory after being narrowly defeated by England in last year's final.

But they'll need to get off to a good start this afternoon against the Italian's who will be hoping to cause a major upset.

  • Start time: 3pm GMT
  • TV/Live Stream: BBC iPLayer
  • France XV: Jacquet, Murie, Filopon, Vernier, Aurelie Castel, Drouin, Chambon, Deshayes, Sochat, Joyeux, Fall, Forlani, Menager,Hermet, Gros
  • Italy XV: Furlan, Muzzo, Sillari, D’Inca, Magatti, Rigoni, Stefan, Maris, Bettoni, Gai, Tounesi, Duca, Sberna, Locatelli, Giordano

  • Giacomo Pisa

    Try Scored! There it is!

    And there is the opening try of the game!

    Madoussou Fall powers over from close range and under the posts to send the home fans wild.

    It took three blue shirts to bring Fall down, but she was already over the line by the time they did.

  • Giacomo Pisa

    France 3-3 Italy

    17. The lineout is safely gathered and France are well set up here.

    It's going through the hands of the forwards five-metres out from the Italian line, and it only seems like a matter of time before one manages to bundle over.

  • Giacomo Pisa

    France 3-3 Italy

    16. Penalty to France.

    Now maybe a chance for the hosts.

    The blue shirts fly out of defence to blitz Madoussou Fall… but they're offside.

    Caroline Drouin finds touch right on the Italian 22 with the resulting kick.

  • Giacomo Pisa

    France 3-3 Italy

    15. Fifteen minutes gone here in Grenoble.

    France may have been heavy favourites for the game, but Italy have been the better side so far.

  • Giacomo Pisa

    France 3-3 Italy

    13. France No8 picks the ball up on the left hand side with plenty of space to run in to.

    She tries to feed Castel on the touchline but her pass is a wayward one – it goes forward and out into touch.

  • Giacomo Pisa

    France 3-3 Italy – So close!

    12. Italy think they've piled over through Melissa Bettoni and are celebrating a try.

    Referee Sara Cox wriggles around to check for the ball and says it's been held up.

    Italy denied by brilliant French defence and Drouin can clear downfield from the resulting dropout.

  • Giacomo Pisa

    France 3-3 Italy

    11. Rigoni pops the ball into touch to set up the Italian lineout.

    This is a great position for the visitors – right on the France five-metre line.

  • Giacomo Pisa

    France 3-3 Italy

    10. Penalty to Italy.

    Beatrice Rigoni intercepts a pass by Drouin and suddenly looks like she's got a clean run to the line.

    She doesn't have much support around her and is eventually brought down on the French 22.

    France come steaming over the top to win the ball but they didn't get back onside before doing so.

  • Giacomo Pisa

    France 3-3 Italy

    9. The scrum collapses almost immediately but Sara Cox is happy enough that nothing illegal went on there.

    Giordano picks up from the back before it's spun out to Rigoni who clears downfield.

  • Giacomo Pisa

    France 3-3 Italy

    7. It's been a rather scrappy first seven minutes here.

    Italy knock the ball on but they'll have the put in to the scrum because it had already been spilled forward by a white shirt.

    Sofia Stefan lines up to feed the ball in.

  • Giacomo Pisa

    Penalty scored – France 3-3 Italy

    6. Through the posts it goes.

    We're all square again.

  • Giacomo Pisa

    France 3-0 Italy

    6. It's the Italians who win the first battle at the scrum, with the French front row penalised for not shoving straight.

    Sillari calls for the kicking tee.

    She'll try and level things up almost immediately.

  • Giacomo Pisa

    France 3-0 Italy

    5. Rigoni's kick off causes all sorts of havoc in the French team.

    Vernier knocks the ball forward as she tries to gather on the edge of her own 22, so it will be an Italy put in to the scrum.

  • Giacomo Pisa

    Penalty scored – France 3-0 Italy

    4. Drouin drills the ball right through the middle of the posts to give France a three-point lead.

    First blood to the hosts.

  • Giacomo Pisa

    France 0-0 Italy

    3. Another France penalty – this time Italy don't roll away at the breakdown.

    Caroline Drouin will go for the posts from this one to try and get the ball rolling for the hosts.

  • Giacomo Pisa

    France 0-0 Italy

    2. Referee Sara Cox blows for the first penalty of the game.

    It's against Italy for straying offside at the lineout.

    Drouin kicks for touch and finds it just inside the Italy 22, so France are well set up here to launch an attack.

  • Giacomo Pisa

    France 0-0 Italy

    1. Drouin's kick off is gathered safely by Giordano, who takes the contact.

    Rigoni then clears downfield for the first lineout of the match.

    it will be France to throw in, just about on the halfway line.

  • Giacomo Pisa

    Peeep! Underway in France!

    Here we go!

    It's the hosts who get us underway!

  • Giacomo Pisa

    Here they come!

    The teams are out at Les Stade des Alpes in Grenoble.

    There's plenty of fans in the stands for what is expected to be a record attendance for a game between France and Italy.

    The French flags are being waved as the sides line up for the national anthems.

  • Giacomo Pisa

    What happened yesterday?

    In case you missed it, here's a reminder of what happened yesterday in the TikTok Women's Six Nations.

    The tournament kicked off with England thumping Scotland 57-5 in Edinburgh, as the tournament favourites kicked things off with a bang.

    Then there was a much closer affair between Ireland and Wales, with the latter coming from 14-5 down to triumph 19-27.

  • Giacomo Pisa

    On the bench today

    These are the finishers this afternoon.

    France

    16 Touye, 17 Lindelauf, 18 Khalfaoui, 19 Feleu, 20 Berthoumieu, 21 Sansus, 22 Tremouliere, 23 Boulard

    Italy

    16 Vecchini, 17 Stecca, 18 Seye, 19 Fedrighi, 20 Frangipani, 21 Barattin, 22 Madia, 23 Minuzzi

  • Giacomo Pisa

    Italy Starting XV

    And here's how Italy line up in France.

    Backs

    15 Furlan, 14 Muzzo, 13 Sillari, 12 D'Inca, 11 Magatti, 10 Rigoni, 9 Stefan

    Forwards

    1 Maris, 2 Bettoni, 3 Gai, 4 Tounesi, 5 Duca, 6 Sberna, 7 Locatelli, 8 Giordano

  • Giacomo Pisa

    France Starting XV

    Here's a look at how the hosts line up for this TikTok Women's Six Nations clash.

    Backs

    15 Jacquet, 14 Murie, 13 Filopon, 12 Vernier, 11 Aurelie Castel, 10 Drouin, 9 Chambon

    Forwards

    1 Deshayes, 2 Sochat, 3 Joyeux, 4 Fall, 5 Forlani, 6 Menager, 7 Hermet, 8 Gros

  • Giacomo Pisa

    GOOD AFTERNOON

    Welcome to our live coverage of the 2022 TikTok Women’s Six Nations.

    Today marks the final game of Round 1 in the tournament, as France host Italy in Grenoble.

    Last year’s format means the two teams didn’t meet, so they have not faced off since the 2020 edition of the tournament.

    France ran out comfortable 45-10 winners that day and are string favourites to do the same again this afternoon.

    But the hosts will have to do it without two key players.

    Both scrum-half Pauline Bourdon and lock Safi N’Diaye will be missing for this afternoon’s clash in the south of France.

    Kick off is scheduled for 3pm (UK time), with full team news coming next.

    You won’t want to miss it!

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