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Six Nations Preview: England vs Italy

Owen Farrell will win his 50th England cap against Italy on Sunday

England vs Italy at Twickenham
(
Sunday, February 26, 11pm HKT)

The trip to Twickenham looks a lot like Mission: Impossible for Italy.

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What we can expect
Tries. Lots and lots of tries. Mostly English ones. Chances of Italy not recording their 75th Six Nations defeat? Zero.

England
Eddie Jones promised to shake up selection for this match against Italy – and he has made four changes. Ben Te’o is in the England starting line-up for the first time, while Danny Care replacing Ben Youngs. Jonny May gets the nod on the wing, while James Haskell replaces Jack Clifford in the back row. Dylan Hartley holds on to the captaincy, but Owen Farrell will lead the side out to mark his 50th England cap. The big surprise is the total absence of Anthony Watson.

Matchday 23: Brown, May, Te’o, Farrell, Daly, Ford, Care; Marler, Hartley, Cole, Launchbury, Lawes, Itoje, Haskell, Hughes Bench: George, Vunipola, Sinckler, Wood, Clifford, Youngs, Slade, Nowell

Italy
The Azzurri are on a hiding to nothing. After leaking 96 points in their opening two matches, they will have to regard an England score of anything less than 60 as a major improvement. Coach Conor O’Shea has made four changes to the starting line-up, with Tommasso Allan in the pivotal fly-half role, and Michele Campagnaro finally getting his chance to shine in midfield.

Matchday 23: Padovani, Bisegni, Campagnaro, McLean, Venditti, Allan, Gori; Lovotti, Ghiraldini, Cittadini, Fuser, Van Schalkwyk, Steyn, Favaro, Parisse (c) Bench: Gega, Rizzo, Ceccarelli, Biagi, Mbanda, Bronzini, Canna, Benvenuti

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All eyes on: Michele Campagnaro
After two weeks’ dutiful bench-warming duty, the Exeter Chiefs’ centre finally gets the start his talents deserve – though O’Shea has handed him something of a poison chalice. No one, not even the die-hardest Azzurri, expects anything other than a big England win at Headquarters.

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Key battle: Te’o and Farrell v Campagnaro and McLean
Italy will be out to test England’s latest new-look midfield partnership – but you’d expect Te’o and Farrell to be able handle anything Campagnaro and McLean could throw at them.

Prediction
Very big numbers. England by a cricket score.

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O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 3 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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