Damian Penaud extended his try-scoring streak to seven matches as Rugby World Cup host France blew apart Italy 60-7 to reach the quarter-finals in style on Friday.
France topped Pool A ahead of New Zealand and will likely meet defending champion South Africa in the last quarter-final next weekend. New Zealand will probably have to play top-ranked Ireland.
How Pool B shakes out depends on the Ireland-Scotland match on Saturday at Stade de France.
Italy was smashed by New Zealand 96-17 last week and was pumped up to rebound against its neighbour. But France, even without injured linchpin Antoine Dupont, was ready after a two-week break and took less than two minutes to score the first of its eight tries in a hugely impressive performance.
Les Tricolores equalled their highest score against Italy from 1967 and achieved the greatest margin ever. Only eight months ago in the Six Nations, France won 29-24.
Of course, Penaud got the first try, off his wing. Following pick-and-goes from hooker Peato Mauvaka, fly-half Matthieu Jalibert and fullback Thomas Ramos combined to send the right winger into the left corner.
After Ramos converted and added a penalty, Penaud turned provider with an unexpected cross-field kick for Louis Bielle-Biarrey to score in the left corner.
Jalibert and Penaud combined to send Ramos over for the third try, and brilliant improvisation from Jalibert saw him kick off-balance to Penaud in the right corner for France’s fourth try.
Penaud’s brace for six in the tournament took him past Vincent Clerc on France’s all-time list to 35 tries. Only the great Serge Blanco has more on 38.
Italy prop Simone Ferrari had a try disallowed after he was harshly penalized for a chest-high tackle on Maxime Lucu – playing for the absent Dupont – in the buildup.
France led 31-0 at halftime, and took only seven minutes in the second half to resume the try-fest.