Team Italy Nostalgia ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡ | 2015 Fencing World Championships Foil Semifinal - Italy v France

I'm back. I'm all good. I was just called away by the delightful Maria Stababina, mistress of all things IT at the FIE. She's got a file for us for next season. Really? I've just had a look at it on her phone. She says it's not quite finished yet, but it's a list of all of the athletes in the top, I think it's 50, she said, maybe 100, in each weapon with phonetical spelling of their names. Oh, fantastic. That's going to be handy, isn't it? It is. Well, the first action in this semifinal match was a collision of heads between Daniele Garazzo and Erwin Le Pichu, and a mask to the face for Le Pichu, which I'm sure is quite uncomfortable. Voto Vogel with words for Le Pichu, and he's been given a yellow card stepping off the piece to avoid the hit. Well, if nothing else, it's comforting to know they're planning on having us back. Italy, of course, defeated the USA 45-37 to get into this match, and France defeated Japan 45-42. France is the number one seed here. Italy number four. Coming up at 15-15 Moscow time, we'll have our first medal match. The third place fight off between France and Hungary in the women's foil team event. You know, Karim, I started off the day talking about Dorothy Parker. I didn't actually look her up. And more from Dorothy Parker later when we get to that bronze medal match, but a couple of great quotes from her. And here is one. They sicken of the calm, those who know the storm. Le Pichu asking to have his weapon checked. It works. Point stands. And with that, Daniele Garazzo takes us out of the first and a 5-2. Italy lead. Baldini, Andrea Baldini, now coming on for Italy and Enzo Lefort for France. Yeah. You've already had one. The other one is being very elusive. That can happen. Lovely. Perry Rapost there for Andrea Baldini and a very slow start for France. They can't afford to get too far behind here. Only one in the second for Enzo Lefort. Andrea Casarot now on for Italy. Jeremy Cato for France. Just a reminder. Love being able to provide the comments thread for our viewers to discuss the fencing. And interesting topics. We ask that you keep it clean. As far as your language is concerned in all languages. And that you show respect for your fellow viewers. Target there. You stole my pen. I didn't. You can borrow my spoon if you want. Might need that a bit later to stir my coffee. Javier Lorenzo, referee in this third leg. Cato with his first here in the third. Cato just holding on to the back line there. Their final action though is Casarot and Cato. Perhaps thinking about whether or not he's going to have a video review and looking to the box he decides better. Good counter there from Cato. Cato chasing a Casarot to the back line. Off target. Casarot blocking out the Cato attack. And Andrea Casarot making life very difficult for number one seed France here. Italy building a ten point lead as we go into the fourth. Daniele Garazzo on for Italy. Enzo Lefort back on for France. On the yellow piece to China holding a 7-5 lead over Russia. And we will see if Enzo Lefort is able to get something going for the French side here. Final action there. Lefort using distance while dancing out of the way of Garazzo then charging back in unable to find the target. The Italian coach Andrea Cipressa with some comment about I think the valid target area, the bib of Enzo Lefort. Lefort's weapon is bent about eight different ways. He'll try and straighten it out. They come together. Only one light and it is Daniele Garazzo's. Lefort losing possession of his mask clip. First attack, no, says Javier Lorenzo. Garazzo picking up the right away and a video review. Call stands. And Javier Lorenzo says attack Lefort. Garazzo looking to Andrea Cipressa. But there will be no challenge. Lefort leaping in the air there. And he will earn a yellow card. Covering that exchange. And Lefort goes down hard onto the piece. Doing a full roll backward. And we are back underway. Now Javier Lorenzo is calling that Peri Riposte Garazzo. I would imagine that Enzo Lefort feels like that was his blade contact. And he's called a video review. And it is given Peri Riposte Garazzo. Lefort off target. The French just don't seem to be able to buy a break here. And another Peri Riposte Daniele Garazzo. A 20 for Italy. Six for France. And this is looking pretty grim for France. Only one in that outing for Enzo Lefort. And he is on a minus eight indicator after two outings here. Andrea Cassara on for Italy in the fifth. Erwin Lefechu. And Bodo Vogel back up to referee. Now Lefechu having to arrange his mask clip. Meeting of the blades there. Right of way Lefechu. He gets his first here. Cassara straight back. How was your massage and pedicure Mr. Bashir? Wonderful thanks. Short. And I'm afraid that Andrea Cassara has taken a shot in a somewhat delicate spot. It wasn't short enough for the Italians to turn what was a tight match when I left into a bit of a battering. Well that's given as Cassara's attack all the way through. There was blade contact. And Lefechu asking for video review here. The call is overturned. And it was given as a parry riposte to Erwin Lefechu. A lot of flinging about there. Cassara going off the pace, being set back a meter. And he will surrender his weapon and choose a new one. Final action there. Parry riposte to Erwin Lefechu. And maybe France can get something going here. What are they looking for here? Cassara is saying a hit was on his mask. Nothing is being given here. No it has. And Cassara with the point. Pattern parry off target for Cassara. Final action given to Lefechu there. And Cassara asking for a video review. Well the call is overturned. And now Lefechu is hopping mad. But Obogol says I checked the video. And that is my call. And tells Lefechu to get back to the line. It's off target. Lovely parry and riposte there for Andrea Cassara that will take us out of the 5th. And still total domination from Italy here. Only 3 in that outing for Erwin Lefechu. And he is on a minus 5 indicator after 2. Minus 8 for Enzo Laporte after 2. Minus 5 for Lefechu after 2. Let's see if Jeremy Cato can get something going here. The French have got to make a substitution surely. And need to change something. Well they are making a substitution because Enzo Laporte has got his kit off. And Julien Martin is up and dressed. And a weapon in his hand. Cato needing an Allen key here to tighten his tighten his grip. If France has any hope here they need to get a grip. The referee is going to separate them. Still Cato's attack. Baldini claims he was holding the line. But Obogol says he didn't get it out fast enough. Just looking at the replay. It was clear that he did not. And the mask clip goes flying over on the other side of the finals piece. Nearly took out a technician as well. The technicians just saw it. Jumped down the skin. Can't be bothered to turn around and throw it back over to the piece. When the Italian coaches does the running. 3 here so far for Jeremy Cato. And we will be seeing the French reserve. Julien Martin coming in in the next leg. And again Baldini. Going to claim the line. But that was Cato's all the way. Cato off target. Baldini off target. What's happened here? It's like Cato may have taken a bit of mask to his face. As they collided. Cato picked up Baldini's attack there. Tied to Baldini. Still a good run here from Jeremy Cato. A lot of work building that attack, but he can't find the target Cato. Baldini just stepping in. Arm back. Cato with the stop hit. 7 for Cato, 4 for Baldini here. Halt was called, nothing given. Now first attack Baldini is no. And the referee is going to have a look at this. Of his own volition. And that is given as Cato's attack. But there was only one light. And that will end it. That was an odd call. Referee turned to look at the screen. Came back and said it was Cato's attack. But there was only one red light there. 8 in that outing for Cato. 5 for Baldini. And Julian Martine will be on in reserve for Enzo Laforte. So they had to make a substitution, David. And as you spotted, Martine was indeed getting ready. Can he do anything about this? That's a 13 point margin. And Cato got 3 of it back. But there's going to have to be something really special here. From Martine against Andrea Cassara. He's off target on that attack. The scoreboard and captions still say Enzo Laforte. But that is the French reserve, Julian Martine. Picking up the blade on Martine's attack. Russia has fought their way back into the match on the yellow piece. And they have leveled with China. 27-27 in the 6th leg there. That hit from Martine off target on his mask. And Cassara is down on the floor. That collision. We've had a number of mask-to-mask contacts here in this semifinal match. Russia has overtaken China. And they go into the 7th there, holding a 3-point lead. 30-Russia, 27-China. Cassara with the counteraction there. Jeremy Cato got something going for France. But Julian Martine can't keep it going. Battle on the back line. But nothing in it. Martine off target again. He's through that time. He needs to get through a lot more often. Because France won this competition last year in Kazan. And they will lose a shedload of points if they fail to get through this fight. Now, blade picked up by Martine. But he's unable to land a riposte. And Andrea Cassara will take us out of the 7th. 35 for Italy, 19 for France. And in his one and only appearance, Julian Martine on a minus-3 indicator. Cato back on for France. Daniele Garazzo. And Cato, after two, on a level indicator. The Garazzo family will be quite happy, won't they? This World Championship? Absolutely. As will the Italian fencing family. Javier Lorenzo says that is Daniele Garazzo's attack. Cato can't find the target. Russia have pulled away from China on the yellow piste. In a big way. They scored 14 hits in the last two fights to 3 from China. Cato is now looking at the video replay on the big screen at the end of the piste. The call was Perry Riposte-Garazzo. And Cato gets his first here in the 8th. But I'm afraid it's too late. Video review here. Just looking at the video, it looks like Cato, with the beat, retaining the right of way. And that is the referee's call. And a pin to the back line. A gift there at the end from Jeremy Cato. He finishes on a minus 3 indicator. What was it that you... A gift there from Cato. Right, right. This whole match has been a gift from France to Italy. Minus 3 indicator to finish for Cato. Minus 8 after two outings for Erwin Lepichu. And, sorry, after Enzo Lefort. And Lepichu on to close for Italy. Andrea Baldini for France. Andrea Baldini for Italy. Russia now out to a 10 point lead over China. Going in to the 9th. And here, Forza Azzurri indeed. Italy set to gain a whole load of points for crucial world rankings in this Olympic season. Russia also look like they're going to secure a bare minimum of silver medal, which is what they got last year here. These are the top 4 teams in the world rankings. So, whilst things may swap around a little bit in terms of their positions in that top 4, these valuable points are absolutely crucial at this stage. Bodo Vogel is going to overturn his call there after a video review. And it is Baldini's attack, not Lepichu's. Well, it's called for Baldini, but Lepichu has asked for a review. Call stands. And that will do it. A 20 point lead.