England came close to getting their Six Nations campaign back on track with a win after holding on against Italy in Rome. Italy earned a bonus point with Monti Ioane’s late try.Elliot Daly and Michelle Lamaro were sent to the sin box late
Last updated: 03/02/24 17:12
Alex Mitchells’ try started England’s second-half fightback.
England got their 2024 Six Nations campaign off to a good start with a second-half fightback to earn a narrow 27-24 victory over Italy at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico.
Italy made an impression in attack in the first 40 minutes and took a 17-14 lead in the second half with tries from debutant Alessandro Garbisi and Tommaso Allan.
Alessandro Garbisi gets his debut off to a good start with a try
England hit back three times with shots from Elliot Daly and George Ford, but were unable to nullify the hosts’ attacking threat in the first half.
The visiting team became even more determined in the second 40 seconds, Alex Mitchell forcing his way through and, after Ford was close three more times from the tee, England led 27-17, showing their experience and youthful flair. were combined.
After Daly and Italian captain Michele Lamaro received yellow cards in the final minute, Monti Ioane’s converted try brought them within three points and earned them a bonus point, but the Azzurri lost their Six Nations against England. He had to wait at least a year for his first victory. .
Italy: Try: Alessandro Garbisi (12 points), Tommaso Allan (26 points), Monti Ioane (85 points). Conversion: Tommaso Allan (5, 12, 26, 85)
England: Try: Elliot Daly (20), Alex Mitchell (44). Conversion: George Ford (15, 33, 37, 45, 54, 66)
England’s experience will help them hold their ground in Rome
The first five minutes at the Stadio Olimpico were fast-paced and penalty-heavy. The hosts took advantage of Maro Itoje being ruled offside and took a 3-0 lead with Tommaso Allan’s goal.
Then 12 minutes later, after a sensational break from Lorenzo Canone, the Roma crowd roared as scrum-half Alessandro Garbisi pounced on his debut and Italy extended their advantage with a fine attacking try.
Alessandro Garbisi got off to a great start on his debut and linked up well with his younger brother
After a bright start against the hosts, England started to win clashes and took advantage of it, getting their first goal from the boot of Ford before Daly scored a goal for free from a Tommy Freeman break. , making the score 10-8 at the end. first quarter.
However, it didn’t take long for the flowing Italian attack to strike back and Allan scored a wonderful loop-around team try started by the Garbisi brothers and Ignacio Brex.
Ford’s two penalties gave Italy a narrow 17-14 lead at half-time, and the Azzurri inched closer to what looked like their first victory over England in this competition.
England looked more determined in the second 40 minutes and finally took the lead, with Mitchell powering over from short range on the blindside for his first try of the Six Nations and Ford converting for a 21-17 advantage. obtained.
It was a rough match as England took advantage of their size.
A bright second half for England saw the scrum once again show its strength, with Ford’s penalty conversion securing 10 points outstanding in just over 10 minutes of the second half.
A battle for dominance followed, but some sloppy mistakes by the Azzurri started to cost them, and a penalty was awarded in the 66th minute, giving England three points and a secure lead at 27-17. I stole it.
A breakdown in discipline saw Daly sent to the sin-bin for a trip, while Italy captain Ramaro was also sent off the pitch for 10 minutes for collapsing a maul.
Both teams had 14 players and although the clock was running out, Italy remained determined, with a great individual move from Ioane and a bonus point from Allan. This matchup held many lessons for both teams.
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Jamie George leads England for the first time as new captain against Italy
England captain Jamie George speaks to ITV Sport…
“I think it was a mixed bag. I was really happy with some of the efforts, but the players held out at times. We probably had some growing pains there.”
“We had a lot of new faces on that team, but the way we came together, understood the message and executed it, the second half was what we should have been aiming for.
“What I was most happy about was that we were pushing and trying things, we were playing with different intensities.
“We want to get stronger physically. The England team is the best. We weren’t perfect and we know we have to improve more for Wales, but it’s a good start.”
Italy captain Michele Ramaro on ITV Sport…
“It’s always tough not winning by such a close margin. We played well in the first half but conceded a little too many goals at the start of the second half.
“I’m proud of the players. We always fight for each other and that’s the most important thing, but there are many things we can do better.
“We need to increase the pressure and in the 20 minutes after half-time we struggled to get out of our own half.
“It’s not enough. We have to keep pushing and build on this performance even more. We know we’re getting close to it, but there’s still a lot we can improve on.”
What’s next?
England will host Wales at Twickenham in the second leg of the Six Nations next Saturday, February 10th (kick-off 4:45pm Japan time).
Italy will return to action on Sunday February 12th, kicking off at 3pm at the Aviva Stadium before hosting a visit to reigning champions Ireland.
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