Italy vs England

Losty Dublin

Italy vs England; KO 14:15 GMT.

I will spare you a long introduction as this is a rush job of a match thread.

The BBC reports for both teams; first off Italy...

• Alessandro Garbisi is included at scrum-half alongside his brother Paolo at number 10. Tommaso Allan is picked at full-back and Tommaso Menoncello returns at centre, having missed the World Cup through injury. 
• Ange Capuozzo was ruled out on Friday because of illness and is replaced by Lorenzo Pani on the wing.
• In the pack, Gianmarco Lucchesi is back after missing all of Italy's internationals in 2023 with a knee injury, while lock Federico Ruzza wins his 50th cap. 

As for England.... 

• Blind-side flanker Ethan Roots and inside centre Fraser Dingwall make their Test debuts, while the uncapped trio of back row Chandler Cunningham-South, fly-half Fin Smith and winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso are on the bench. 
• Marcus Smith was set to replace the absent Owen Farrell but has been ruled out because of a calf injury for at least two matches, so fly-half George Ford wins his 92nd cap.
• In addition to Genge, Borthwick is without backs Ollie Lawrence, Manu Tuilagi and Anthony Watson and forwards Tom Curry, Luke Cowan-Dickie, George Martin and Bevan Rodd because of injury. 
• Henry Arundell, Joe Marchant, David Ribbans and Jack Willis are no longer eligible as they play in France.

This game has taken a heightened importance given the result last night, with much of the heavy lifting done for the inevitable Grand Slam that English entitlements rarely see deliver. On paper, even todays weakened Spice Stealers squad has far too much for the home squad to be able for. In saying that, we are also talking about an England who came out of the World Cup far better than their form and that of other nations suggested. Write offs or write off at your peril? That's the big question.

Likewise, Italy have had a weird run up. Favourable form at Under 20 level and a good pre RWC suggested much promise only for a mediocre show when it mattered. The departure of Crowley and Aboud behind the scenes shows that all isn't well in their version of Lansdowne House; yet Benneton are second in the URC and rightly so.

Italy: 15-Allan, 14-Pani, 13-Brex, 12-Menoncello, 11-Ioane, 10-Garbisi, 9-Garbisi; 1-Fischetti, 2-Lucchesi, 3-Ceccarelli, 4-Cannone, 5-Ruzza, 6-Negri, 7-Lamaro (capt), 8-Cannone

Replacements: 16-Nicotera, 17-Spagnolo, 18-Zilocchi, 19-Zambonin, 20-Iachizzi, 21-Zuliani, 22-Varney, 23-Izekor

England: 15-Steward, 14-Freeman, 13-Slade, 12-Dingwall, 11-Daly, 10-Ford, 9-Mitchell; 1-Stuart, 2-Marler, 3-George (capt), 4-Itoje, 5-Chessum, 6-Roots, 7-Underhill, 8-Earl

Replacements: 16-Dan, 17-Obano, 18-Cole, 19-Coles, 20-Cunningham-South, 21-Care, 22-Smith, 23-Feyi-Waboso

My opinion; England to win by 15 but they'll be deciding by how much towards the end.

Ben Bailey

England looking undisciplined so far. Hint of overconfidence ?

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121716164#Comment_121716164

Not sure what they have to be confident about.

Think Italy are just well up for this. New coach boost maybe. The key thing will be whether they can keep it up

Also they need to convert this possession and pressure to actual points.

Clegg

Great try.

Thought it might have come off Garbisi's hand though.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121716193#Comment_121716193

We'll never know cause not a **** hope the director is showing a clear replay of that.

pickarooney

Bit pointless having the names on shirts if the font is unreadably small.

Podge_irl

Sigh, Italy Italying it up

Ben Bailey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121716211#Comment_121716211

Having their names on their shirts is an unnecessary affectation

Ben Bailey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121716181#Comment_121716181

Can England win this ? : Yes

Can Italy lose this ? : Yes

Error count creeping up quickly.

Clegg

England's defence is up lightning fast. They're leaving lots of gaps in behind and spacing seems a bit off. But if they bed it in, they'll be very hard to break down.

Burkie1203

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121716240#Comment_121716240

Aged well

This is it

Forward to 15? Great try if it stands!

Edit, definitely back, lovely try.

Ben Bailey

Can we please play England soon ?

Dillonb3

Lovely try from italy

Losty Dublin

Now that could be try of the season. Pure and simple rugby.

Clegg

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121716240#Comment_121716240

Yep.

England blitzed up incredibly fast in midfield, but quick hands from Italy got them outside the final defender for a three on one overlap.

Larbre34

Beautifully judged by Brex, hoovered up more Englishmen up than a box of Dysons.

fitz

John Woo slow motion moment with the birds taking off in front of the runner.

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121716247#Comment_121716247

It won't matter.

This England group simply don't have the capacity to improve enough to beat this Irish team; be it in London, Dublin or any place else on Earth.

Larbre34

Who the **** is that medic sitting on the touchline, shrieking like a fishwife and coaching the defence??

This is it

Copped a few penalties but decent effort from Italy

This is it

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121716270#Comment_121716270

Absolute melt

Dubinusa

I'd not expect England to win a g/s. But I think we'll see improvement over this championship.

Big Ears

That decision says a lot about how England are viewing this game.

A penalty, close to your opponents line after multiple infringements. You'd think they'd try and work a try out of it, with the potential added bonus of a yellow card for Italy in the mean time, and they take the 3.

Hard to know if it's the right or wrong call right now.

pickarooney

Right call. Stay within touching distance of Italy and keep turning the scree. 12 point England win

Losty Dublin

Interesting stuff; entertaining yet both teams are capable of better football. Will that same England team come out from the dressing room, and will Italy finally learn how to put a wining total up their jumper?

Ben Bailey

Roots & Freeman going well fir England. Mitchell always good for a brainfart moment, or a brilliant break.

Won't be seeing expansive rugby from England anytime soon (and if they don't play expensively against Italy they never will).

Podge_irl

Mitchell was 100% held in the tackle there.

ionadnapokot

Im getting irritated by Felix Jones in the coaches box

Its probably just the red rose

Clegg

England have fixed their defence this half and Italy have failed Tk create anything. Can't get around the rush at all.

hold my beer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121716383#Comment_121716383

Mad that they didn't even look at it again. Terrible decision

FrancieBrady

If Italy prevent the Bonus Point that would be something out of this poor game

pickarooney

Feels like watching the same match every year

lawrencesummers

The english defense is very narrow. 2 carrys up the middle or down the blind side and a long skip pass will unlock them.

They might be copying SA but they dont have the same strengths that players like DDA or Kolbe have.

By they time we go to twickenham there will be plenty of footage of how we tear them apart.

lawrencesummers

Trip, YC and penalty.

Dick phelan

Christ England are a hard watch.

Ben Bailey

Dan Cole on.

(& some people think Cian Healy is past it)

roverjoyce

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121716506#Comment_121716506

Was not shown at full speed

Everything looks worse in slow Mo

No intention was a natural reaction

Clegg

England's rush defence looks formidable. They're up incredibly fast and completely shut down any sort of Italy attack in the second half.

Their phase play attack looks poor however. Very direct in the carry with little involvement from the backs.

Italy could have exploited that fast up defence with kicking, but they refused to do so. England also got very narrow in defence and with better execution in attack Italy find space.

Ben Bailey

Allan misses & wind goes out of Italian sails

Ben Bailey

TMO reffing this now

Clegg

Took Italy 84 minutes to kick wide over the defence. A carry through the middle the phase after honey pots the England rush defence in midfield and then a pass wide puts Italy through.

Dick phelan

If Garbisi hasn't missed!. No bonus point and only+3 on the points difference. Not the best from England.

Ben Bailey

Game over

pickarooney

Itoje looks weird with short hair.

Larbre34

Both sides had a good half, and a bad half.

Italy's play in overtime was decent, but as usual with them, its the top two inches that let them down. Concentration and discipline.

I'm looking forward to getting a look at Scotland, because right now it looks as if Ireland could stroll off with the most hollow Grand Slam in history.

Dick phelan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121716563#Comment_121716563

England away is still a tough task.

klose

Just seen highlights there, fairly obvious forward pass in the build up to Englands second try.

lawrencesummers

England only got two tries.

One of which should have been disallowed for any of three different infringements.

FrancieBrady

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121716637#Comment_121716637

True. I don’t think he was held conclusively but it was a definite forward pass and Marler was off feet and on at the side. Cut lucky