England vs Italy LIVE: Result and reaction from Six Nations as England seal big win to stay in title hunt
England 47-24 Italy: A superb attacking display from Steve Borthwick’s side kept their title hopes alive heading into the final weekend
England cut loose to keep their Six Nations title hopes alive with a seven-try, 49-24 win over a hapless Italy.
Narrow victories over France and Scotland served as overdue tight successes for Steve Borthwick’s side, though they themselves have conceded that they had been yet to produce their best in this campaign. This, then, felt like a significant step forward as the hosts showed far more attacking ambition, eventually putting Italy to the sword after a helter-skelter first half.
Borthwick had left Marcus Smith on the bench and dropped Henry Slade entirely for the visit of the Azzurri, but were forced into an early backline reshuffle after injury to Ollie Lawrence. Smith’s arrival and a star performance from Elliot Daly, moved to outside centre, opened up England’s attacking game, allowing them to pile up the points as the Azzurri suffered another damaging day. The shipping of 11 tries in Rome against France punctured the optimism that had surrounded Gonzalo Quesada’s squad and this felt like another significant step back.
Re-live all of the actionn from Allianz Stadium, Twickenham in our live blog below:
TRY! England 21-14 Italy (Ollie Sleightholme, 35 mins)
What a game this is turning into! England hit straight back with a try themselves.
They win a penalty in Italian territory and choose to tap and go. That’s in the right corne and they work the ball all the way to the other side of the field in four passes! Dingwall just gets his off to Marcus Smith before being clobbered and Smith heaves a huge throw out to Ollie Sleightholme who is all alone on the right flank.
Pace to the corner from the winger as he slides over. A tricky conversion for Fin Smith from the left touchline but he nails it! Superb kick
TRY! England 14-14 Italy (Ross Vintcent, 32 mins)
Ross Vintcent that is serious pace! Unbelievable from the Italy and Exeter No 8! A stunning Italy score!
Capuozzo returns a reasonably aimless kick as he weaves between defenders in his patented style and pops inside to the supporting Vintcent. He’s got 30 metres to go and turns on the afterburners by slicing between two defenders, dummying Marcus Smith with a pass and outpacing Ellis Genge and Fin Smith to the line! Class!
Garbisi adds the conversion and we’re level again!
TRY! England 14-7 Italy (Tommy Freeman, 28 mins)
It doesn’t matter as England immediately score anyway! What on earth is Ange Capuozzo doing? He’s caught sleeping as Daly threads a grubber kick through with the outside of his left boot.
Capuozzo doesn’t start turning to run back until Tommy Freeman is past him, the England winger collects the ball, steps inside the covering Garbisi and dives over for the score. A gift for England!
Fin Smith, who is still goal-kicking even though namesake Marcus is now on the field, slots the tricky conversion from out wide and England lead 14-7.
England 7-7 Italy, 27 mins
Celebrations from Italy! A very clever lineout by England, using Itoje as a dummy jumper and firing to Earl at the front.
He’s driven within a metre of the line but Itoje then picks up and dives over the top of the ruck. He’s nowhere near grounding the ball - he basically dived on a pile of bodies. Not the smartest move by the England captain, held up over the line. Italy will have a goal-line dropout.
Although we’re going to the TMO to see if Earl’s drive was stopped illegally. They deem not - “a clear sack” says the referee, although a couple of Italian defenders may have come in at the side. Nevertheless, they survive.
England 7-7 Italy, 26 mins
Good set from England, a couple of phases and Ruzza is pinged for a no-arms tackle on Marcus Smith.
Lineout five metres from the Italy line...
England 7-7 Italy, 25 mins
That’s class by Fin Smith. A dangerous kick through from Capuozzo sees him hurtle across to collect, five metres from his own line, he sidesteps a tacklers and boots clear to halfway. Calm and composed from the England fly half.
Italy starting to find their flow
That’s a really poor miss from Paolo Garbisi, assuming kicking duties with no Tommaso Allan in the Italian side today. The visitors have started to really find their flow in attack after a difficult opening to the game, buoyed no doubt by that Ange Capuozzo score.
Tommaso Menoncello and Juan Ignacio Brex are working some really funky shapes in midfield.
NO PENALTY! England 7-7 Italy (Paolo Garbisi, 24 mins)
Let-off for England. The penalty is on the 22, to the right of the posts but a kick Paolo Garbisi would expect to make most, if not all, of the time.
But it slips wide of the left posts and it’s still 7-7.
England 7-7 Italy, 23 mins
Mistakes creeping into England’s game. Chessum is pinged for going in too soon. Italy have the lineout on the 22, they make a mess of it but England immediately knock on and give them the ball back.
Capuozzo tries to dance through a half-gap and gorgeous offloading takes them up to the 22 where they win a penalty for no clear release in the tackle. They’ll go for the posts.
England 7-7 Italy, 21 mins
Italy will be delighted with this first quarter - they’ve weathered the England storm and come out level.
Ioane competes with Marcus Smith for an up and under and spoils it well, forcing the ball backwards and giving Italy possession just outside the 22. But England win the turnover penalty and Fin Smith hammers clear to halfway.
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