In France and Italy Sunday is a family day, a day to catch up over a leisurely lunch with a few glasses of wine, a precious few hours away from the hurly burly of modern life, although yesterday was an exception, lunch became brunch, and a week after Le Crunch, le brunch had a much sweeter taste than usual for French rugby fans.

Last Saturday at Stade de France they devoured le rosbif, it has sustained them all week,so yesterday they had a taste for something a bit lighter.

After singing in the rain in their victory over England, they were dancing in the drizzle after this win.

Beware of the French in Paris with the sun on their backs was an adage passed onto me by a wiley old basque farmer at the Parc des Princes in the late 1980’s, he may have been brandishing a flaggon of home made brandy, but his advice was no less sanguine for his evident consumption of the product.

Yesterday the gusty winds and drizzle made Spring feel like a distant hope, there was even a Gael warning as monsieur Fickou was primed to do some storm damage in midfield.

But it was Ntmack and Serin that Provided the magic in the murk with two tries that set the pulses racing.

Fabien Galthie wants the French fans to fall in love with the national team once again, and its appears after the second date the affair is blossoming.

Italy played a full part in this contest scoring three tries of their own, through Minnozi, Zani and Bellini it has to be said there was a massive improvement from last weeks defeat in Wales.

France’s other three tries came from Teddy Thomas, captain Charles Ollivon and Gregory Alldritt. 

The tournament in two weeks time features three matches with almost everything at stake, storm Ciara will have blown herself out by then, I wonder which teams will join her.