With Stade de France unavailable due to Olympic Games preparations, Les Bleus are touring the country this year, to undertake their Guinness Six Nations home games.

Having suffered a miserable loss to Ireland in Marseille on the opening day of the tournament, they headed 621 miles north to Lille for their second home game of the championship against Italy.

In a country where wine is generally king, Lille is France’s beer capital. Pelforth is a French brewery founded in 1914 in Mons-en-Barœul by three Lillois brewers. It was originally called Pelican, after a dance popular at the time, but changed its name to Pelforth after World War II. The name is a mash up of Pelican and “forte”, which means strong – and this is the style of beer they brew, including a blonde, brune and amber.

Stade Pierre Mauroy is tucked away in one of those out of town shopping complexes at Villeneuve d’Ascq, a suburb 6km southeast of Lille City Centre, just a gentle meandering fifteen minute driver less metro ride from Gare Lille Flandres.

France, after defeat in Marseille, gained an uninspiring win at Murrayfield, so this was surely the match, and the opposition, to enable them to get back on track, to display the wonderful power and wizardry we all know they possess, but which has proved elusive since their Rugby World Cup exit last October.

A typical grey February Sunday afternoon in Northern France gave way to glimpses of sunshine which was totally immaterial as the 50,000 throng belted out La Marseillaise under the stadium’s closed roof.

France started with pace and power and after just six minutes Charles Ollivon crashed over for a try converted by Jalibert.

Dominating territory and possession France continued with the high tempo game and created plenty of chances but a plethora of errors cost them a handful of tries.

With 43:55 on the clock Page-Relo kicked a penalty for Italy following a yellow card to Jonathan Danty and France ended the first half with just a seven point lead.

The second half began with Danty’s yellow card upgraded to red as an error strewn frenzy began. France were a shambles and as the half wore on it suddenly dawned on Italy that they could win this.

A 69th try from Capuozzo converted by Garbisi brought the scores level at 13-13.

Italy were awarded a penalty with the clock in the Red but Paolo Garbisi hit the post and the azzuri were denied a first Six Nations victory in France.

The fly-half looked set to seal the historic win until the ball fell off the tee, which resulted in a rushed attempt due to the amount of time left on the shot clock.

As for France their unforgiving press will give the group a tough time during the coming weeks. They look a shadow of the team that lit up the Rugby World Cup and their list of absentees grows ever longer.

Jalibert injured in the first half looks doubtful for the Wales game in two weeks time, Danty will be absent after his red card, and with Dupont and Jelonch unavailable resources are being stretched.

As the jammed packed metro headed back to the delightful cobbled streets of Lille, it’s time for a Pelforth or two before another wonderful Guinness Six Nations weekend melts into Monday morning, but it is probably the Peroni that will taste that much sweeter tonight.