Laporte looking to cut Azzurri down to size

FRANCE coach Bernard Laporte needs his team to put some manners on Pierre Berbizier’s Italians, who have shown up well in their first two matches in the Six Nations despite being on the losing side twice against Ireland and England.

France meanwhile lost to Scotland in their opener and then nearly let slip a seemingly invincible 43-3 lead over the Irish - to end up 43-31 victors.

Berbizier compared to Laporte is a thoroughbred in the sport having been capped 56 times for Les Tricolores and been their scrum-half in the 1997 World Cup final, whereas Laporte was a useful scrum-half without being capped.