Bet on Italy vs France – Italy to feel a French backlash in Rome

Venue: Stadio Flaminio, Rome; Date: March 12th, 2011
Coverage: Live on BBC1; Kick Off: 2.30pm

The defeat in Twickenham last week has left the Six Nations Championship out of France’s hands, but while the French fans pray for an English slip-up at Twickenham, Italy can expect to feel the full force of the French flair in Rome.

Italy have proved a lot tougher to beat at the Stadio Flaminio in recent times but France have never had a problem accomplishing a victory – 11 straight wins in the Six Nations tells its own story.

Match Odds

With France 1/14 to beat Italy on Saturday, the handicap betting will prove invaluable to punters looking for value in this Six Nations games.

Italy have come within France on four of the 11 Six Nations matches – including twice in the last three years – but France usually run wild at the Stadio Flaminio and have won by more than 30 points on their last three visits to Rome.

France are 7/2 to beat Italy with a -30 handicap, but punters looking for a little less risk can back France at 10/11 with a -16 handicap.

Tries

French players dominate the first tryscorer betting market and after regaining his spot in the team, Vincent Clerc is the 6/1 favourite to score the first try, but Maxime Medard is the better bet at 8/1.

Italy may have scored just three and eight points in their last two games with France in Rome, but they have registered totals of 19, 27 and 13 and Mirco Bergamasco looks a decent bet at 7/1 to get the first Italian try.

Winning Margin

France are a huge price at 11/1 to win by 31-35 points but the safer bet would be to back France at 6/1 to win by 31-40 points.

A £25 stake on France winning by between 31-35 points would return £300. New customers can sign up here for a free £25 bet.

Teams:
Italy: A Masi, T Benvenuti, G Canale, G Garcia, M Bergamasco, L Orquera, F Semenzato; S Parisse (c), R Barbieri, A Zanni, C Antonio Del Fava, S Dellape, M Castrogiovanni, C Festuccia, A Lo Cicero.
Replacements: L Ghiraldini, S Perugini, Q Geldenhuys, P Derbyshire, P Canavosio, K Burton, L McLean.

France: M Medard, Y Huget, A Rougerie, Y Jauzion, V Clerc, F Trinh-Duc, M Parra; S Marconnet, W Servat, N Mas, J Pierre, L Nallet; T Dusautoir (c), J Bonnaire, S Chabal.
Replacements: G Guirado, L Ducalcon, J Thion, I Harinordoquy, J Tomas, D Traille, C Poitrenaud.