But new Azzurri coach Jacques Brunel will take a lot of confidence from his side who pushed the World Cup runners-up for much of the match, but were kept at bay by a suffocating French defence.

Kris Burton added nine points for Italy, with replacement Tobias Botes also slotting a penalty, but in the end the French had too much for them.

Under former Perpignan coach Brunel, the Italians controlled possession and territory in the first half but France were clinical in punishing two lapses from the visitors.

The Italians weren't able to take advantage of an early scrum penalty against Nicolas Mas and despite pushing the French back were kept at bay by the home defence.

With ten minutes gone a loose kick was collected by Malzieu who streaked down the pitch before an Italian hand prevented a quick release from the resulting breakdown allowing Dimitri Yachvili a first shot at goal which he duly slotted from wide on the left.

The Italians continued to have the majority of the ball, and were rewarded when Australian-born fly-half Burton slotted a drop goal from the right to level the scores.

François Trinh-Duc did little to calm French nerves as he failed to make ten yards with the restart but France were able to regain possession and from their first real attack Rougerie went over.

Trinh-Duc delayed his pass beautifully for Rougerie's checked run and the centre ghosted through a gap in the midfield to cross for the first try, Yachvili adding the conversion from wide on the right.

The Italians responded by penning the French back and eventually were awarded a kickable penalty when Pascal Papé failed to roll away and Burton made it 10-6 on the half-hour.

Despite the Italians continuing to put pressure on the home side, it was France who scored next as Louis Picamoles charged off the back of a strong French scrum handing off Sergio Parisse with ease.

The Toulouse No.8 then found Malzieu who took advantage of some weak tackling from Giovanbattista Venditti and Edoardo Gori before stepping inside Andrea Masi to go over for France's second try. Yachvili missed the conversion from out wide to leave it at 15-6 at the break.

The second half began in the same fashion as the first with Italy showing great patience to keep possession and having missed one effort, Burton added a penalty when Rougerie was penalised for his hands in the ruck to make it 15-9.

Yachvili could have got the French back to more than a converted score in front but his penalty attempt from halfway drifted wide.

Andrea Lo Cicero gave Yachvili another chance immediately after as he was penalised for not rolling away, and the Biarritz scrum-half made no mistake to give France an 18-9 lead.

The French grabbed their third try in opportunistic fashion as Trinh-Duc chipped over the Italian defence, hacking on for Rougerie's who dabbed it on with his knee for Clerc to score his 32nd international try. Yachvili made it 25-9 with the conversion.

Italy edged back into it with a penalty from replacement fly-half Botes after Picamoles had been caught offside.

However the Italians were fading as France started to take control and from a dangerous French maul Quintin Geldenhuys was yellow-carded for pulling down the inexorable French march.

And the Italian defence couldn't hold as debutant Fofana collected replacement Morgan Parra's pass and had the strength to hold off Luke McLean for the try, Parra's conversion just missed.

Italy tried hard in the dying minutes to force a try, but as is often their problem they struggled to break through.
Les Bleus will welcome Ireland to the Stade de France in seven days as they look to continue their impressive start to the campaign.