The time has finally come for the opening weekend of the 2024 Six Nations and the first match between the two teams to begin the next Rugby World Cup cycle.
For England, it would build on a solid showing at last year’s World Cup, when Steve Borthwick won bronze just 10 months after taking over the reins.
This was an impressive feat considering the big changes so close to the tournament. Borthwick kept his team together with set pieces and adopted a low-risk game plan, albeit with a change of leadership following the departure of the legendary duo of Owen Farrell and Courtney Rhodes from international rugby.
The Azzurri have undergone major changes, with Kieran Crowley removed from the hot seat and Gonzalo Quesada brought in, making it fascinating to watch in front of a packed Stadio Olimpico. The next manager is highly rated and is expected to be the man who will take Italy to a whole new level.
There will be some trepidation in the England camp as they know Italy could easily peel a banana early on, while the Azzurri will continue to play with the fears they honed under Crawley. It will be interesting to see if they maintain the unknown approach.
What will happen in the battle?
Borthwick’s tactics rely on clean, powerful set-pieces combined with a meticulous kicking game designed to frustrate opponents and lead to points by forcing errors or penalties. Losing Marcus Smith to injury this week was a clear downside offensively, but with George Ford as the pivot, the team has a more pragmatic decision-maker, and manager Borthwick suitable for this plan.
England will want to control the game through Ford and force Italy to play from as deep as possible. If the Red Roses can win the set-pieces and collisions, and convert their kicks well, it will be a tough battle for the Azzurri.
It is difficult to say definitively how much Italy will change under the new manager. The line-up shows they can trade fearlessness for pragmatism, highlighted by the addition of 15-year-old Tommaso Allan and the electric Ange Capozzo on the wing. While this may reduce the young superstar’s influence in break play, it gives Italy two solid kicking options in Allan and fly-half Paolo Garbisi. Some would think that these two players will need Stormer if Italy are to win.
The last time we met
what they said was
Robust Italian flanker Sebastian Negri admits it was difficult to accept his team’s result, but insists there is light at the end of the tunnel.
“It’s a tough tournament for us, but what keeps us going is the belief that we can get the results we want,” he added.
“It’s difficult. If you judge by the results, at the end of the day they are the results. We got some results in the Six Nations and we have a responsibility to continue to build on what we’ve built over the last 12 to 18 months. there is.
“Despite some setbacks at the World Cup, we have come a long way in terms of our game and we hope to have a well-balanced Six Nations.
“We want to continue to develop because we are aiming for something special. We have a very good group of young players who are gaining more and more experience.
“If I didn’t believe in the process we’re going through, I wouldn’t be playing international rugby.”
Borthwick feels the England camp will give Premiership players an advantage in the build-up to the tournament.
“The players don’t lose games, so that’s a big benefit. In general, I try to look at the positive side, but I have a group of players who don’t lose games. They’re ready to go. ,” he said.
“The other thing is the nature of the Premiership. The impact of all these games is huge because every game is important.
“And in Europe we have teams fighting to qualify, fighting to find a way to win, which is also a really positive thing.
“All the information we have is that all clubs are running more than they were 12 months ago, so this is a really positive thing.”
major players
Sebastian Negri For the Italian, this is clearly a notable choice. Flankers are primarily ball carriers within the puck and lead the physical charge.His brutal personality brings great balance to the back row alongside the captain Michele Ramaro and Lorenzo Canone. They will have to brace themselves against the Red Roses.
It’s a great day for Garbisi family like brothers paolo and alessandro He will start as a halfback. Paolo is a more experienced Test player, a very talented playmaker and undoubtedly one of the key players in taking Italy to another level. Alessandro shows great promise and he could very well be given a more permanent role, even at the age of nine. Both must participate in the kicking match on Saturday.
Finally, regarding Italy, Ange Capozzo. In terms of pure ability to beat defenders and add an X-factor, it’s hard to beat Azzurri colors. It will be interesting to see how he fits into the wing with his preferred position at full-back. Still, let’s hope the Italian player shows his talent in front of his home fans.
Start of debut duo ethan roots and fraser dingwall Their brilliant club performance was recognized. New Zealand-born Roots will aim to throw himself into physical battles and fill the very big boots left by Rose on the blindside. Dingwall have been in good form this season and have a great chance to make a move in the absence of stalwart Olly Lawrence.
England have a new captain in the form of veteran hooker jamie george I am taking over from my best friend Farrell. It’s a big step for the star, who seems ready to go. He has a wealth of experience and has been in the leadership group for some time. He will be desperate to start his term with a win.
main match
The set-piece battles will be huge, but so will the use of platforms to highlight the battles of the decade.
something older Paolo Garbisis, At 23 years old he already has 31 caps under his belt, making him very experienced for his age and clearly showing how highly regarded he is within the team. He is a fly-half who has just about everything, but his ability to counter England’s relentless kicking game will be most important this weekend. Position is important in this game, so the playmaker needs to keep his team playing in the right areas.
Borthwick’s plans rely heavily on the execution of his fly-half, and in some ways that’s appropriate. george ford A little more than Smith. Of course, Quins’ young star can execute his game plan with a little extra flair, but Ford is one of the brightest minds in the sport’s current crop of players. Recall the master class against Argentina in the pool stage of the World Cup. Ford is a hell of a player, so that could be the difference.
prediction
England certainly have the momentum given their promising World Cup campaign and, although things have changed since then, they remain favorites to win the title. The throngs of fans packed into the Stadio Olimpico will have something to say about that. At the end of the day, the players who execute Borthwick’s pragmatic approach and game plan will be too good. England by 3 p.m..
past results
2023: England won 31-14 at Twickenham.
2022: England beat Roma 33-0
2021: England won 41-18 at Twickenham.
2020: England win 34-5 in Rome
2019: England beat Newcastle 37-0
2019: England beat Twickenham 57-14
2018: England win 46-15 in Rome
2017: England won 36-15 at Twickenham.
team
England: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Fraser Dingwall, 11 Elliot Daly, 10 George Ford, 9 Alex Mitchell, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Sam Underhill, 6 Ethan Daley. Roots, 5 Ollie Chetham, 4 Maro Itoje, 3 Will Stuart, 2 Jamie George (c), 1 Joe Marler
Replacement: 16 Theo Dunn, 17 Ellis Genge, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Alex Coles, 20 Chandler Cunningham-South, 21 Danny Care, 22 Finn Smith, 23 Immanuel Fay-Waboso
Italy: 15 Tommaso Allan, 14 Ange Capozzo, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex, 12 Tommaso Menoncello, 11 Monti Ioane, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Alessandro Garbisi, 8 Lorenzo Cannone, 7 Michele Ramaro (c), 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 Federico Luzza, 4 Niccolo Canone, 3 Pietro Ceccarelli, 2 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 1 Danilo Fischetti
Replacement: 16 Giacomo Nicotera, 17 Mirco Spagnuolo, 18 Giosue Girocchi, 19 Andrea Zambonin, 20 Edoardo Iacizzi, 21 Manuel Zuliani, 22 Stephen Varney, 23 Lorenzo Pani
date: Saturday, February 3rd
venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
kick off: Local time 15:15 (14:15 Greenwich Mean Time)
Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)
Assistant referee: Nick Berry (Australia), Nika Amashkeli (Georgia)
TMO: Brett Cronan (Australia)
read more: Adam Jones’ Six Nations prediction: Gutsy poses ‘serious threat’ of upset