Italy vs England - Matchday Thread

[LondonTiger]

First topic message reminder :

When:
Sunday 04 February 2018 15:00 GMT, 16:00 (Local time)


Where:
Stadio Olimpico, Viale dei Gladiatori, Rome, Italy


TV:
ITV, FR2, TV3, DMAX, NBC


Officials:
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Assistant 1: Jérôme Garcès (France)
Assistant 2: Nic Berry (Australia)
TMO: Glenn Newman (New Zealand)


Head to Head:
Played - 18
Wins - England 18
Tries - Italy 7, England 48


Teams:

Italy
15 Matteo MINOZZI (Zebre Rugby Club, 3 caps)*
14 Tommaso BENVENUTI (Benetton Rugby, 45 caps)*
13 Tommaso BONI (Zebre Rugby Club, 8 caps)*
12 Tommaso CASTELLO (Zebre Rugby Club, 5 caps)
11 Mattia BELLINI (Zebre Rugby Club, 8 caps)*
10 Tommaso ALLAN (Benetton Rugby, 33 caps)
9 Marcello VIOLI (Zebre Rugby Club, 8 caps)*
8 Sergio PARISSE (Stade Francais, 129 caps) - capitano
7 Renato GIAMMARIOLI (Zebre Rugby Club, 1 cap)*
6 Sebastian NEGRI (Benetton Rugby, 2 caps)
5 Dean BUDD (Benetton Rugby, 6 caps)
4 Alessandro ZANNI (Benetton Rugby, 99 caps)
3 Simone FERRARI (Benetton Rugby, 8 caps)
2 Leonardo GHIRALDINI (Stade Toulosain, 89 caps)
1 Andrea LOVOTTI (Zebre Rugby Club, 20 caps)*

16 Luca BIGI (Benetton Rugby, 6 caps)
17 Nicola QUAGLIO (Benetton Rugby, 2 caps)*
18 Tiziano PASQUALI (Benetton Rugby, 2 caps)
19 George BIAGI (Zebre Rugby Club, 19 caps)
20 Maxime MBANDA’ (Zebre Rugby Club, 11 caps)*
21 Edoardo GORI (Benetton Rugby, 65 caps)*
22 Carlo CANNA (Zebre Rugby Club, 25 caps)
23 Jayden HAYWARD (Benetton Rugby, 3 caps)


England
15 Mike Brown (Harlequins 64 caps)
14 Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby 28 caps)
13 Ben Te'o (Worcester Warriors 8 caps)
12 Owen Farrell (Saracens 53 caps)
11 Jonny May (Leicester Tigers 29 caps)
10 George Ford (Leicester Tigers 40 caps)
9 Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers 73 caps)
1 Mako Vunipola (Saracens 44 caps)
2 Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints 89 caps)
3 Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers 77 caps)
4 Joe Launchbury (Wasps 47 caps)
5 Maro Itoje (Saracens 14 caps)
6 Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints 61 caps)
7 Chris Robshaw (Harlequins 59 caps)
8 Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs 3 caps)


16 Jamie George (Saracens 20 caps)
17 Alec Hepburn (Exeter Chiefs uncapped)
18 Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs 5 caps)
19 George Kruis (Saracens 21 caps)
20 Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby 3 caps)
21 Danny Care (Harlequins 76 caps)
22 Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby 35 caps)
23 Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs 23 caps)

[Heaf]

Should that not also be a yellow card? Just because England scored the try is no reason to not punish cynical play.

Indeed ...

[RDW]

That was glorious from vunipola! I know it's only Italy but England are looking good.

[Sgt_Pooly]

Hands from Mako....sublime!

[RDW]

Good try - bit of defensive weakness out wide though?

May was turned inside out by the last pass

I was more meaning the easy gains Italy made on the other wing

[Sgt_Pooly]

The pace coming onto the ball is fantastic, big improvement on last year. Hartley has been great, as has Lawes.

[Geordie]

Sorry to see the injury to Ben Young

[Cumbrian]

Liking the accuracy from England. Runners coming from deep and making a lot of ground. Italy aren't helping themselves though.

[No 7&1/2]

Please no more lock at 6 soon.

[mikey_dragon]

England should get 50 points today. The real rugby is coming to you next weekend .

[Scottrf]

Please no more lock at 6 soon.

Was out lock giving away a cheap pen and the 6 disrupting the mail.

[mikey_dragon]

Please no more lock at 6 soon.

It gives a great advantage in lineouts and driving mauls IMO... That's where England can target Wales.

[eirebilly]

This may only be Italy but England are running some great attacking lines and showing excellent handling.

[No 7&1/2]

Nah just the guy brought in to carry with a sloppy handing error....again. 1 or 2 a game.

[Scottrf]

Nah just the guy brought in to carry with a sloppy handing error....again. 1 or 2 a game.

You can't watch him play objectively. You just watch for mistakes.

[No 7&1/2]

And let's face it. I don't have to look very hard.

[RDW]

Two England penalties on their own line - should probably have got a warning at least

[lostinwales]

Watson looks hurt

[Geordie]

It's funny, I'm not impressed by England.

[Scottrf]

It's funny,  I'm not impressed by England.

 

Agreed. A couple of very nice passing moves aside, this is sloppy.

[eirebilly]

It's funny,  I'm not impressed by England.

 

I am, think they are playing very well. Italy are playing quite well as well. Very good game so far.

[Heaf]

Two England penalties on their own line - should probably have got a warning at least

Anyone any idea what the first one was for when it looked like they'd claimed the loose ball?

[No 7&1/2]

The injury to youngs really disrupted them. Quite a big decision next week. Care will be the very senior partner but does that automatically equate a start?

[No 7&1/2]

Offside heaf.

[Heaf]

But the ball went loose from a tackle so open play with no offside line?

[No 7&1/2]

I didn't say I agreed!

[Heaf]

[WELL-PAST-IT]

England looking sharp for me, Italy looking good ball in had as well. COS having an impact.

Itoje has given away by mu count 3 penalties in one half, seems to be trying too hard.

May looking for work and is a real problem for the Italians, just too quick for his own good sometimes.

Lawes one loose ball aside is playing very well, probably the primary carrier, I think 8 carries for 17m, and 7 tackles inside the first 25 minutes, plus good work disrupting the Italian maul.

[Scottrf]

Absolutely stupid. Lifting someone in a maul on the refs side?

[Geordie]

I repeat...England not impressing me...

[Scottrf]

Twice in that build up we had hands on the ball fairly and got taken off by guys flying off their feet.

[Sgt_Pooly]

Defence hasn't been great

[Heaf]

The pass off the floor was forwards way before that too ...

[Sgt_Pooly]

Mako is answering some questions about his scrummaging, he's having a cracking game

[No 7&1/2]

Defence iffy. Set piece good. Well done to both coaches. Attack v good. First game up reasonably happy and this is why I was glad for italy first.

[lostinwales]

Simmonds

[Heaf]

He's got a bit of pace hasn't he ...

[No 7&1/2]

2 pens off that maul. Has to be a warning at the very least should be a yellow really.

[Geordie]

Woeful attempted tackle by Brown!!

[No 7&1/2]

Probably saved us a yellow...

[mikey_dragon]

In touch, but ref could give a penalty against Brown? Tackle looks a bit high.

[mikey_dragon]

Really they awarded it...

[formerly known as Sam]

In touch, but ref could give a penalty against Brown? Tackle looks a bit high.

That's what I thought they'd give.

[Scottrf]

I thought he was in touch, but can't complain too much about the benefit of the doubt.

[Geordie]

Well Ireland will not fear anything they've seen today!!

[Geordie]

Nor Wales, France or Scotland either...

[lostinwales]

He's got a bit of pace hasn't he ...

I don't think he's gonna run through people but he can certainly run around them

[Scottrf]

Well Ireland will not fear anything they've seen today!!

It's Wales next week!

[WELL-PAST-IT]

How any penalties has Itoje given away today?

[eirebilly]

Well Ireland will not fear anything they've seen today!!

I don't know, Italy has scored 2 try's against England so far and Ireland could not get one against France. Italy may give Ireland a wee run next weekend.

[Duty281]

Referees seem very keen to keep cards in the pocket this week.

Very tepid from England after the opening two tries. Too many penalties given away and too many tackles missed.

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