Meafou capable of being 'world's best' lock

France giant shows class in Italy victory

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France lock Emmanuel Meafou breaks away with the ball during the Six Nations match against Italy on Sunday.

(AFP)

Emmanuel Meafou has everything he needs to be the best second row in the world, his France teammate Thomas Ramos believes.

Meafou put in a man-of-the-match performance in France’s 33-8 Six Nations victory over Italy on Sunday, scoring his first try in his 14th appearance for Les Bleus.

And he did it in his first start for France in this season’s tournament, having been overlooked for the two previous matches in favour of rising star Mickael Guillard.

“When he wants to, Manny can be the best second row in the world, and I think he’s doing what he needs to live up to that and play the way he did tonight,” Ramos said after Sunday's victory, which kept France on course for the Grand Slam.

“He's a serious guy who works hard, who knows his qualities and, tonight, he showed them for 80 minutes.

“For a number five, it's rare to last that long!”

At six foot eight inches and 145kg, Meafou is built for power, not for duration.