France have begun the 2012 Six Nations with a 30-12 win over Jacques Brunel's Azzurri.
Dimitri Yachvili fired the home side ahead from the left flank with 11 minutes gone, providing Les Blues with a three-point lead. However, Kris Burton consolidated the visiting side's superior possession with a drop goal to tie the score.
France fought back within a matter of minutes when Aurelien Rougerie found a hole in the Italian defence to retake the lead, which Yachvili went on to extend with a successful conversion.
Burton added to his tally by kicking his second three of the match, but Julien Malzieu's powerful run down the left-hand side led to another France try to take them even further ahead at the break.
Italy's fly-half continued to keep his side in the contest, kicking his second penalty to put the first points on the board following the interval.
Yachvili kicked his second three of the game to re-establish the hosts' nine-point lead, before wing Vincent Clerc and Francois Trinh-Duc combined to get behind the Italian defense for another five points. Yachvili's conversion made it a 16-point difference.
Substitute Tobie Botes continued where Burton left off, taking the Italians' total to 12 with his boot with an hour gone.
Debutant Fofana – Sports Mole's one to watch - was able to then get in on the scoring with ten minutes to go, crossing over in the left corner to take his team to 30 points and a win.
