As the Six Nations enters its second round, it came as no surprise to see Italy push England close in Rome after the signs they showed in Paris last week.
In fact, they resembled France in some key respects as they were given two decent chances to score in England’s territory in the first half and they took both.
England’s tendency to try to keep the ball alive in the tackle came back to bite them although Ben Foden was possibly trying too hard to atone for his part in Italy’s first try. It was a rare off-game for him.
The introduction of Lee Dickson and Ben Morgan made a huge difference for England. Ben Youngs hardly threw a decent pass all afternoon and Morgan appears to understand the value of keeping the ball in the tackle. His team-mates would do well to follow his example.
England’s centres had better games today. Owen Farrell was outstanding with the boot and Brad Barritt broke the line several times, particularly in the second half.
Farrell’s reliability from the tee contrasted with Botes having a shocker for Italy having replaced Kris Burton. Not to overstate the obvious but Italy really needed those kicks to go over to punish England.
Italy struggled in the second half and after Sergio Parisse was taken out/allowed himself to be taken out/fell over (delete depending on your view) early he had a quiet ten minutes. Lacking him or Martin Castrogiovanni – the heartbeats of the forwards – Italy perhaps dropped their guard for long enough to allow England back into the game.
Their intensity could not be faulted, however, and they made sure that the first rugby game at Rome’s Olympic Stadium left the home fans wanting more.
Italy’s time is coming. With two wins on the board already and early signs that they are starting to gel, England’s odds for the championship must be always shortening. Even if they are going to have to raise their game significantly if they are to land any serious punches on France and Wales.
For now, they will be pleased that having got themselves into a sticky situation, they showed enough resolve and skill to extricate themselves. Another test passed.