We were so close to a famous result for Italy in the Six Nations today. France hosted the Azzuri in the strange environs of the Stade Ernest-Wallon in Lille this afternoonr. France were the dominant team in the first half but a red card to Jonathan Danty changed the entire complexion of the game. Italy battled back at the match was level 13-all when the Italian forwards won a defensive penalty in the French half in the 81st minute.
As outhalf Paolo Garbisi lined up the penalty to seal the famous victory, disaster struck. With twelve seconds left on the clock, the ball slipped off the tee. Garbisi then re-set the ball as a teammate offered to hold the ball. Garbisi managed to get his kick off with one second left, however it bounced off the post. The match finished a draw at 13-13.
French commentary of Garbisi's penalty that ALMOST won it for Italy over France.
How did the ball fall off the tee??? It's indoors! There's no wind!pic.twitter.com/Zvi2YPRjEh— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) February 25, 2024
However in the aftermath of the game, many felt that Italy had been hard done by. There were two times after the ball fell from the tee that French players attempted to charge down the kick. According to the rules of the game, that is cause for the kick to be retaken
English ref Christophe Ridley was standing right beside Garbisi, looking at the French team, and yet decided there was no foul.
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Italy-France: Garbisi deserved a second kick
There were many people online claiming Italy had been hard done by. Speaking on Virgin Media this evening, Ian Madigan - who's full of knowledge about the rules around penalty kicking in rugby - made a persuasive argument that Garbisi deserved a mulligan.
Once that French player encroaches the ten metres, that's now a penalty offense. At a minimum the shot [clock] should go back to sixty seconds. Through the letter of the law, the penalty should be awarded where the French players encroaches, and then you can see the French player Sebastiano Tao also moves forward as Garbisi is taking his kick, which does affect your eyeline as a kicker. Two infractions...in my opinion the ref should have taken control there and given at least 60 seconds for the kick to be taken and ensured the French players stayed standing still
Were Italy let down by the referee today during Paolo Garbisi's dramatic last minute penalty that hit the post?@Ian_madigan explains how there were two French infringements before Garbisi struck the kick.#FRAvITA | #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/GRmprtakNj
— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) February 25, 2024
Garbisi spoke well to ITV after the game and said all accountability for the missed kick stopped with him.
It's disappointment for Italy but the result means they're on three points, just as Wales are. They'll travel to Cardiff on the last day of the tournament hoping to pull off a big result, just as they did two years ago.
