So we are here live watching the 3rd and final fixture in the opening round of the six nations. This on paper should have England strolling home for a win but on so many occasions England have struggled to dominate as you would expect. A difficult start for a team under the spotlight, can they keep their heads?
RESPECT! The captains before kick-off with referee Mathieu Raynal 🤝 #ITAvENG #NatWest6Nations pic.twitter.com/D4sqiEScPZ
— NatWest 6 Nations (@SixNationsRugby) February 4, 2018
Kick-Off – Ford kicks off, a box kick ends in a scrum to Italy just inside the England half. Mike Brown spills the ball.
2 Minutes – England start with a great scrum and earn the penalty.
4 Minutes – TRY! Italy 0-5 England
A picture-perfect start to the @SixNationsRugby for @EnglandRugby – Watson goes over in style pic.twitter.com/VIZamBt3C3
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 4, 2018
England work the lineout and head across the field with Ford and Farrell linking up in the midfield. Anthony Watson picks up the ball and dots down in the corner with plenty of space.
Farrell misses the conversion.
Easy try, Italy need to switch on.
6 Minutes – England with quick rugby, recycling quicklyand going through phases, Vunipola unable to take the ball spills to Italy who mantain some pressure on England with plenty of forwards running off the 9.
It breaks down and Italy throw up a high ball. England back in possession.
10 – Down for a few minutes as Danny Care comes on to replace Ben Youngs, a nasty looking knee injury for Ben ends his day as he takes the record for most starts at Scrum Half. Long delay as we wait for the stretcher.
70% of the game played in Englands half so far.
11 minutes – England in an almost instant replay finish with Watson in the corner. They take the ball from the scrum and again the wrap-around move between Ford and Farrell finishes in the corner with great work from Jonny May.
TMO Decision – TRY! Italy 0-5 England
Conversion missed, this time Farrell takes pulls it to the left of the posts.
13 Minutes – Italy decide to take a stab at running through England within their own half. They give up and put up a box kick to Brown who this time gathers nicely.
14 Minutes – England box kick and give away a penalty at the ruck.
15 Minutes – Italy mess up the lineout, they retain possession in the centre of the park but they are going nowhere against the English defence.
Eventually Tommaso Allan dinks into the corner and England have a lineout in their own 22.
17 Minutes – England win the lineout and Italy give away the penalty at the maul.
England clear for their own lineout on the halfway.
20 Minutes -TRY! Italy 5-10 England
What a response from Italy! Benvenuti goes over after some superb passing! pic.twitter.com/nvIxjHPc05
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 4, 2018
England give away a scrum on halfway, Italy win the ball and make a line break down the left. Boni ends up with the ball and is tackled on the 5m. They recycle and the ball makes it’s way back to the right, England struggle to cover across the field and Benvenuti run’s over after a great pass from Allan to take out the defence.
Conversion made.
Italy 7-10 England
26 Minutes – TRY Italy 7-17 England
Try! Quality from @EnglandRugby and @owen_faz who bursts through the Italian defence to finish in style pic.twitter.com/naYov1y82k
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 4, 2018
Italy knock on to give England the scrum. Clever bits of individual skill move Italy about. They move the ball right to left and eventualy the short side is exploited for Farrell to stroll in.
28 Minutes – Italy give away another silly penalty and England are back with attack in the Italy half.
29 Minutes – England take possession and build with some phase play, after nearly 10 phases they exploit space out wide and Brown is found running down the left flank. England are in to the 22, Italy pounce and win the penalty for holding on.
Allan with a superb kick to take the Azzuri back into the England half with attacking ball.
32 Minutes – Italy win the lineout, make some carries but again get no further up field.
Itoje gives away a penalty, Italy with real attacking ball now 10m out.
33 Minutes – Italy win the lineout, they attempt the rolling maul but England guide them nicely into touch without any real fuss. Lawes get’s in on the ball and Cole helps drag them out. Hartley and co to clear their lines.
34 Minutes – England setup a maul, which falls apart, however Dean Budd holds on to Joe Launchbury as they fall to the ground and the referee gives a penalty.
35 Minutes – England win their lineout. The ball ends up going up to Italy, Mike Brown goes high and gives away the penalty. Italy kick back into the England red zone.
36 Minutes – Italy win the lineout and go for the maul again. Parrise takes on the ball and they recycle. The blues eventually move the ball wide and England give away a penalty which Parisse starts with a tap to continue the offensive.
Italy build with 6 phases with short drives from the forwards, England start to look under pressure and give away another penalty for hands in the ruck.
PENALTY Italy 10-17 England
40 Minutes – England win the ball at kick and start to build again. A knock on see’s an Italy scrum which they kick out for the end of the half.
England looking dominant in patches, 7 penalties in the first half though isn’t good enough.
Italy have had alot of possession and have broke at times.
43 Minutes – A few kicks to start the game and England knock on in midfield.
45 Minutes – England line-out on halfway and they kick to Italy on their 22. England win the penalty with Italy going in at the side.
46 Minutes – England move across the field starting a Ben Te’o, Anthony Watson takes a short ball from a ruck off Danny Care and it almost gets him the hat-trick. It is called a forward pass and Italy have a scrum to clear their lines.
47 Minutes – Italy give the penalty away though. England will add 3 points.
PENALTY Italy 10-20 England
50 Minutes – Italy kick off and England clear their lines. Italy try to build from just inside Englands half.
It works! And Italy break through, England don’t recovery and suddenly it’s try time!
They get called back for a forward pass. Scrum to England.
51 Minutes – England win a scrum penalty and Farrell clear’s for a lineout on the halfway.
53 Minutes – TRY! Italy 10-25 England
England get another penalty and after a quick maul Simmonds runs in for a try.
Try! A @SixNationsRugby debut marked with a try for Sam Simmonds who shows just how quick he is! ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/lV2mJ2IDg7
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 4, 2018
Farrell add’s the 2.
Italy 10-27 England
54 Minutes – Italy kick to England in their 22. Danny Care doesn’t make great contact but Itoje ends up booting it out for an Italy throw.
56 Minutes – Italy pressuring England and make another break, England defending on 10m out. Italy win a penalty and take a lineout 5 m out.
57 Minutes – The linout works and they look dangerous in the maul. They move across. Italy score a try in the opposite corner, but it goes to TMO.
Try! Bellini goes over as Italy continue to properly test England
ITA 15-27 ENG
Live on @ITV right now! pic.twitter.com/cnnAIkQiK6
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 4, 2018
TRY! Italy 15-27 England
No conclusive evidence of going out, touch and go but Italy get the try. Bellini in the corner.
61 Minutes – England get the ball and start working into the Italy 22 but give away a penalty.
64 Minutes – Italy make in roads to England’s half but Chris Robshaw gets the penalty for England.
Farrell almost misses touch but Bellini knocks on.
66 Minutes – England’s scrum wins another penalty and suddenly England are on the 5 metre line with Italy on the defence.
England win the lineout but are dragged out, illegally so they have another penalty.
67 Minutes – England lose the lineout 2nd time round and they use the boot of Allan to clear.
68 Minutes – TRY Time! Italy 15-32 England
Off the lineout Joseph carries and takes defenders with him through great footwork. England go blind and the delayed pass by Ford again creates Farrell’s space to stroll through, Ford follow’s and gathers from Farrell to get his 6th England try.
Ford ➡️ Farrell ➡️ Ford – brilliant try for @EnglandRugby! pic.twitter.com/PTYi2s3sbb
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 4, 2018
CONVERSEION – Italy 15-34 England
72 Minutes – A great spell of possession for England almost works them a great try, but Italy steal it back with an interception.
The finishers have really put fresh impetus on the game to bring it home for England. Joseph adding a different dynamic to the attack.
75 Minutes – TRY! Italy 15-39 England
Simmonds in again, passing at the gain line ffrom farrell after a scrum gives Sam another stroll home for the English team.
Try! A @SixNationsRugby debut from heaven for @samsimmonds_ as he gets his second of the afternoon! pic.twitter.com/TSUulJkFsq
— ITV Rugby (@ITVRugby) February 4, 2018
Farrell adds the 2.
ITALY 15-41 ENGLAND
77 Minutes – TRY! Italy 15-46 England
England fly into another attack with Jonny May. The ball works its way across and with a penalty advantage Ford whips the ball over the defence to Simmonds, who floated the ball to Nowell to run it in and finish in the corner
FULL TIME
England finish well and take a bonus point win. When they finished they finished well, Italy also played well and should be positive at being competitive in the rest of the competition.
Ford and Farrell can create from anything. England will now be favourites if they like it or not.
If you got this far down the page, thanks for reading.
