6 Nations Round 2 - Italy v England

First topic message reminder :

Italy vs England

Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Sunday 13th of February 2022
Kick Off - 3pm


Italy Team

Padovani; Mori, Brex, Zanon, Ioane; Garbisi, Varney; Fischetti, Lucchesi, Petro Ceccarelli, Cannone, Ruzza, Steyn, Lamaro (capt), Halafihi.

Replacements: Faiva, Traore, Pasquali, Sisi, Negri, Pettinelli, Fusco, Marin.


England Team

Steward; Malins, Marchant, Slade, Nowell; Smith, Randall; Genge, George, Stuart, Ewels, Isiekwe, Itoje, Curry (capt), Dombrandt.

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Marler, Sinckler, Chessum, Simmonds, Youngs, Ford, Daly.

king_carlos wrote:Sinckler already on. Fischetti is a solid player but a small LH. I'd hope Sinckler can give him more issues than Stuart did.

Good start to be fair...

Lovely pass from Smith.

It's such passive, slow defense from Italy to allow it but Smith took full advantage.

Oh Smith......beautiful pass.

Bonus point try after minutes into the second half.

Dallaglio saying sometimes refs will not return for a pen advantage if you kick. He's such a terrible commentator. Shame Flatman was taken ill.

Malins was in quicksand there!!

GeordieFalcon wrote:Malins was in quicksand there!!

Imagine Radwan with that space!

Good tackle Steward, seems he's learnt somewhat

Curry lucky not to be binned there. Such a cynical ruck infringement minutes after Marchant with a very cynical one of his own in a good attacking position.

Cracking turnover from Dombrandt.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Great break from Randall.......and another knock on.

So that brings on Youngs to save the team.

Simmonds and Youngs on......great, cheers Eddie.

Utterly criminal that a player as poor as Youngs has the most England caps ever.

Good start Benny.........

Well so far I can't see France or Ireland shaking instead boots about playing us.

Glad we're kicking more. Working really well.

This is shocking. Complete lack of basic skills by both sides.

For all the subs the one guy who actually needs some game time, Marler, does not get any

Proud day for Tigers. Youngs joint most capped England player and another young lad gets his first cap. Martin last 6N, Steward and Kelly in the Autumn and now Chessum.

Dallaglio does not know the laws.

hugehandoff wrote:For all the subs the one guy who actually needs some game time, Marler, does not get any

Good timing on the post, just as Marler comes on.

Malians offered nothing in attack and I feel Radwan could have done more

Apart from small windows 1st half wasn't great - 2nd half has been dire ...

Last 10mins has been pretty dire.

The threat from the back 3 with decent ball is pretty shocking. As safe as Steward is, he's been shown up as ponderous with no threat outside him. We should be building a back 3 around his safe hands with 2 electric wingers...not jump and step inside Malins (who again is a good option at FB, not wing).

I know I go on....but I just don't rate Sinkler. He's not the best scruammager and just strolls about the pitch chewing his gum like he's too cool for school.

He brings no intensity from the bench.

Chessum immediately having an impact at the lineout. He's very good indeed there.

king_carlos wrote:Chessum immediately having an impact at the lineout. He's very good indeed there.

He's brought energy and enthusiasm KC...unlike Sinkler, youngs etc....

formerly known as Sam wrote:

hugehandoff wrote:For all the subs the one guy who actually needs some game time, Marler, does not get any

Good timing on the post, just as Marler comes on.

. Any other changes you want?

hugehandoff wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

hugehandoff wrote:For all the subs the one guy who actually needs some game time, Marler, does not get any

Good timing on the post, just as Marler comes on.

. Any other changes you want?

Ford replacing Slade. Ford and Smith then play left and right dual playmakers? 

No clear release on Smith then ...

formerly known as Sam wrote:

hugehandoff wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

hugehandoff wrote:For all the subs the one guy who actually needs some game time, Marler, does not get any

Good timing on the post, just as Marler comes on.

. Any other changes you want?

Ford replacing Slade. Ford and Smith then play left and right dual playmakers? 

You've just reminded me Slade is on the pitch.

king_carlos wrote:Chessum immediately having an impact at the lineout. He's very good indeed there.

Great kick chase there as well. His support sets up the territory for the Sinckler try. Eddie might want to know how one of his locks gets there before most of the England backline.

And Italy in the side of that ruck ...

About time

England’s backs totally toothless

Ford and Smith.. okay....

formerly known as Sam wrote:

king_carlos wrote:Chessum immediately having an impact at the lineout. He's very good indeed there.

Great kick chase there as well. His support sets up the territory for the Sinckler try. Eddie might want to know how one of his locks gets there before most of the England backline.

He was pretty much on the wing, it's not that much a surprise. He might be more concerned to why one of his locks is on the wing and not in the tight.....

GeordieFalcon wrote:Ford and Smith.. okay....

phooey

England would have 50 up by now if we had some wingers on the pitch ...

Surely after watching this the coaches know what they need to do against Wales. Very happy with pack again but nothing offered outside of 10.

No 7&1/2 wrote:Surely after watching this the coaches know what they need to do against Wales. Very happy with pack again but nothing offered outside of 10.

You say that but we have lost that edge in the scrum despite being somewhat heavier

Think Slade has messed that up.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:

king_carlos wrote:Chessum immediately having an impact at the lineout. He's very good indeed there.

Great kick chase there as well. His support sets up the territory for the Sinckler try. Eddie might want to know how one of his locks gets there before most of the England backline.

He was pretty much on the wing, it's not that much a surprise. He might be more concerned to why one of his locks is on the wing and not in the tight.....

He's stood in behind the centres from a pre planned kick call. If you're going to call an up and under then there's little point having all your forwards honey potting around the breakdown.

Yup. Sums up Slades England career really.

Smith.....magic. A deserved man of the match.

Well all in all....alot of Meh.

Jones has things to fix big time.

Tell you what I was joking about the dual playmakers but don't Smith and Ford link well. Smith freed from calling the shots and allowed to link when and where he wants, suddenly he's find gaps everywhere. Ford doing Ford things and distributing close to the line. Wish they'd gone to that a bit earlier.

Slade bungles the placing. Unfortunate but pretty much sums up a lot of England's play today.

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Smith.....magic. Never a more deserved man of the match.

Hes very good isn't he. Him and Randall linked well. Didn't get much ball in the 2nd half.

Cannot see EJ making the necessary selection changes in the backs, other than Manu, to help us out in this 6Ns. We look like a 4th or 5th placed type team.

formerly known as Sam wrote:Tell you what I was joking about the dual playmakers but don't Smith and Ford link well. Smith freed from calling the shots and allowed to link when and where he wants, suddenly he's find gaps everywhere. Ford doing Ford things and distributing close to the line. Wish they'd gone to that a bit earlier.

Slade bungles the placing. Unfortunate but pretty much sums up a lot of England's play today.

Eddie Jones was just getting Ford another game cheque.

doctor_grey wrote:

formerly known as Sam wrote:Tell you what I was joking about the dual playmakers but don't Smith and Ford link well. Smith freed from calling the shots and allowed to link when and where he wants, suddenly he's find gaps everywhere. Ford doing Ford things and distributing close to the line. Wish they'd gone to that a bit earlier.

Slade bungles the placing. Unfortunate but pretty much sums up a lot of England's play today.

Eddie Jones was just getting Ford another game cheque.  

They had one set of attacking play and went from their own 22 to the Italian try line in fast and flowing phases. Worked didn't it. Not sure how well it would work in defence but was fun in attack.

A little Eddie experiment, maybe of we're chasing the game later in the competition.

No 7&1/2 wrote:

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Smith.....magic. Never a more deserved man of the match.

Hes very good isn't he. Him and Randall linked well. Didn't get much ball in the 2nd half.

They add pace, zip and a real threat. To think we've had to put up with Youngs/Farrell over the years at times.....oh my.

I'm not 100% sold on Randall, but he's a step up in most aspects of scrum half play and gives Smith more time to pull the strings with quick ball.

Backline balance is still a bit of a mess. The much requested Slade/Marchant combo didn't work too well, maybe worth another few run outs. Surely a blind man can see that Malins is lost on the wing? He pretty much put an end to every attack we had down his channel.