France should take another step towards winning a record-breaking fifth Six Nations Grand Slam this weekend when they host Italy in Lille.
Les Bleus are level with Wales for most Grand Slam titles after clean sweeps in 2002, 2004, 2010 and 2022, but they look good value to take the record outright after making a blistering start to this season.
Fabien Galthie’s champions defeated Ireland 36-14 first up before hammering Wales 54-12 in Cardiff, with the two bonus-point wins leaving them four points clear of Scotland at the top of the table.
France vs Italy Prediction – Six Nations 2026
France should continue their 100 per cent start with victory over Italy at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, although the Azzurri have shown they are not a team to be taken lightly these days.
They beat Australia in November and have begun the Six Nations with an 18-15 win over Scotland and a battling 20-13 defeat in Ireland, putting them in contention to finish in the top four for only the third time.
We expect France to win, which is 1/66, and with BOYLE Sports’ Early Payout you will get paid if your team goes 17 points ahead at any stage, but the manner of victory is where the best value lies.
France to be leading at half-time and full-time is 1/11, while you can get 6/1 for the table-toppers to claim victory by 16-20 points, which is our opening France vs Italy prediction.
Match Details
France vs Italy Match Details
Venue : Stade Pierre-Mauroy , Lille , France
Referee : Andrew Brace (Ireland)
How to Watch
How to Watch France vs Italy
The Round 3 fixture kicks off at 15:10 GMT on Sunday, February 22nd, 2026.
Coverage of France v Italy begins at 14:20 on ITV1 in the UK.
In Ireland pre-match buildup starts from 14:30 on RTÉ2 with Jacqui Hurley presenting alongside Bernard Jackman , Fiona Coghlan and Stephen Ferris. Your commentary team for the game is Des Curran and Darren Cave.
Betting Odds
France vs Italy Betting Odds – 2026 Six Nations
Result | Odds | Chance |
|---|---|---|
France | 1/66 | 98.5% |
Italy | 10/1 | 9.1% |
Draw | 50/1 | 2.0% |
France are overwhelming favourites at 1/66, with Italy priced at 10/1, while the draw is 50/1, underlining the gulf between the sides in market terms.
Total Points Betting
Over 59.5 @ 4/5
Under 59.5 @ 10/11
Over or Under 59.5 Points? France vs Italy 6N 2026
Handicap Betting
France -25 @ Evens
Italy +25 @ Evens
Handicap Draw (-25) @ 18/1
Will France Cover the -25 Handicap vs Italy? 2026 Six Nations
Tryscorer Odds
Try Scorer Betting
Player | First Try | Anytime |
|---|---|---|
Gaël Dréan | 6/1 | 1/3 |
Louis Bielle-Biarrey | 6/1 | 1/3 |
Antoine Dupont | 8/1 | 1/2 |
Théo Attissogbe | 9/1 | 6/10 |
Émilien Gailleton | 12/1 | 10/11 |
Fabien Brau-Boirie | 14/1 | 11/10 |
Wingers Gaël Dréan and Louis Bielle-Biarrey head the first try market at 6/1 , while captain Antoine Dupont is prominent at 8/1 , reflecting France’s attacking depth.
Who Will Score the First Try in France vs Italy? 6N 2026
Team News
Team News
France – Starting XV
1 Jean-Baptiste Gros, 2 Julien Marchand, 3 Dorian Aldegheri, 4 Thibaud Flament, 5 Emmanuel Meafou, 6 François Cros, 7 Oscar Jegou, 8 Anthony Jelonch, 9 Antoine Dupont (c), 10 Thomas Ramos, 11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 12 Fabien Brau-Boirie, 13 Émilien Gailleton, 14 Gaël Dréan, 15 Théo Attissogbe
France – Replacements
16 Peato Mauvaka, 17 Rodrigue Neti, 18 Georges-Henri Colombe, 19 Charles Ollivon, 20 Mickaël Guillard, 21 Lenni Nouchi, 22 Baptiste Serin, 23 Pierre-Louis Barassi
Matthieu Jalibert was withdrawn from the squad late in the week, prompting a backline reshuffle with Thomas Ramos moving to fly-half and Gaël Dréan handed a debut start. Thibaud Flament and Emmanuel Meafou return in the second row, while captain Antoine Dupont continues at scrum-half.
Italy – Starting XV
15 Ange Capuozzo, 14 Louis Lynagh, 13 Tommaso Menoncello, 12 Leonardo Marin, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Alessandro Fusco, 1 Lorenzo Cannone, 2 Manuel Zuliani, 3 Michele Lamaro (c), 4 Andrea Zambonin, 5 Niccolò Cannone, 6 Simone Ferrari, 7 Giacomo Nicotera, 8 Danilo Fischetti
Italy – Replacements
16 Pablo Dimcheff, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Giosuè Zilocchi, 19 Federico Ruzza, 20 Riccardo Favretto, 21 David Odiase, 22 Alessandro Garbisi, 23 Paolo Odogwu
Ange Capuozzo returns to bolster the backline, while captain Michele Lamaro leads from the pack. Italy remain without several key veterans but continue to show progression under Gonzalo Quesada.
Form Guides
Team Form Guides
France Form Guide
France have form and history on their side as they prepare to host perennial wooden-spoon contenders Italy in what, more often than not, has been their easiest fixture of the competition.
That no longer looks to be the case, with Italy steadily narrowing the gap on the leading nations, but France will still expect to get the better of their trans-Alpine neighbours yet again.
As well as scoring 90 points in seeing off Ireland and Wales, Les Bleus boast a phenomenal record against Italy – winning 46 and drawing one of 50 meetings between the two since 1937.
Last year saw France run riot, breaking records in an 11-try 73-24 romp in Rome, while they were 60-7 winners at the 2023 World Cup on home soil.
But in between those two demolitions, Italy managed to hold France to a 13-13 draw in Lille so it has not all been one-way traffic.
Looking at the France vs Italy odds, you can get 80/1 for another draw on Sunday, but a better option could be for there to be less than 53.5 points in total @ 8/5.
Italy Form Guide
Italy’s best finish in the Six Nations was the fourth place they got in 2007 and 2013 but if Gonzalo Quesada's men continue to progress as they have done, they could be breaking fresh ground soon.
They were fifth in 2024 and 2025 - ending a run of eight successive wooden spoons - and their performances over the last few weeks show they are heading in the right direction.
A win in Lille is probably beyond them – you can get odds of 10/1 for that to happen – but with a home game against inconsistent England and a trip to struggling Wales to come, they will be targeting at least one more victory.
Italy’s draw against 14-man France at this venue in the 2024 Six Nations, when fly-half Paolo Garbisi hit the post with an injury-time penalty to deny the Azzurri an historic victory, will have given them confidence.
We think Italy could limit Les Bleus to under 39.5 points @ 6/5 and that completes our France vs Italy betting tips.
Head-to-Head
Head-to-Head
The landscape of this fixture is defined by French dominance, though recent encounters have introduced a higher degree of unpredictability. To date, the two nations have met on 52 occasions in test match rugby.
All-Time Record
Total Matches: 52
France Wins: 48
Italy Wins: 3 (1997, 2011, 2013)
Draws: 1 (2024)
The Six Nations Era
Since Italy’s induction into the Championship in 2000, the sides have faced off 27 times. France has secured 24 victories in that period. Italy’s two Championship wins (2011 and 2013) were both achieved at the Stadio Flaminio or Stadio Olimpico in Rome; the Azzurri have never defeated France on French soil in the Six Nations.
The Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy
Established in 2007 to mark the bicentenary of the birth of Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi, this trophy is contested annually between the two sides.
Current Holders: France
Head-to-Head: France v Italy Last 5 Meetings
Year | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
2025 | Rome, Italy | Italy 24–73 France |
2024 | Lille, France | France 13–13 Italy |
2023 | Lyon, France | France 60–7 Italy |
2023 | Rome, Italy | Italy 24–29 France |
2022 | Paris, France | France 37–10 Italy |
Betting Tips
France vs Italy Betting Tips
France to Win by 16-20 Points @ 6/1
With France flying and Italy competitive but unlikely to threaten outright, the 16–20 winning band fits the most plausible margin scenario.
Under 53.5 Total Points @ 8/5
Despite France’s attacking output, Lille has produced tighter contests historically, making the lower total angle attractive.
France Under 39.5 Points @ 6/5
Even in defeat, Italy have shown defensive resilience, and keeping France below 40 aligns with recent trends.
Bet on Six Nations Odds at BOYLE Sports
*Prices are subject to fluctuation
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