Six Nations Preview: Sweeping Changes As England Welcomes Italy To Town
Six Nations Preview: Sweeping Changes As England Welcomes Italy To Town
England faces Italy at Twickenham, aiming for a vital Six Nations win to stay in the title race. Borthwick makes key changes as Italy looks to bounce back.
England will aim to keep its Six Nations title hopes alive while playing host host to Italy at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium on Sunday.
Chasing three consecutive victories in the Six Nations for the first time under Steve Borthwick, England remains in the hunt for this year’s title.
Certainly, Borthwick’s side will be tracking the score of the Ireland vs. France match in Dublin but will be cognizant that anything other than a bonus-point win will be unacceptable.
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Italy, on the flipside, is looking to rebound following an almighty thumping at the hands of France in Round 3.
Putting on a performance more reminiscent of Italian teams of old, Gonzalo Quesada’s side will be out for blood this weekend.
Team News
Borthwick has made several key changes to his starting lineup, including the decision to start Elliot Daly at fullback over Marcus Smith, who drops to the bench.
Northampton’s Fraser Dingwall also earns a recall to the midfield, forming a new-look center partnership with Ollie Lawrence.
Borthwick’s side sits third in the Six Nations table, trailing France and Ireland, which will face off in Dublin on Saturday.
With just two rounds remaining, England must secure a win - and ideally a bonus point - to stay in the championship race.
Jamie George will start at hooker in his 100th England appearance, becoming the seventh player to reach the milestone for the national team. The Saracens veteran will play from the start for the first time since losing the captaincy, a decision Borthwick admitted was “disappointing” for the 34-year-old.
“Jamie has been, and continues to be, such an incredible player for English rugby,” Borthwick said. “It’s immense credit to him how he’s handled the situation and the positive influence he has had around the squad.”
Dingwall’s return to the England squad after more than a year means five of the seven backs in England’s starting lineup are from Northampton Saints. He will line up alongside Lawrence in the midfield, while Fin Smith and Alex Mitchell continue their club partnership in the halves.
Elsewhere, Leicester scrumhalf Jack van Poortvliet has been named on the bench ahead of Harry Randall, while Ben Earl retains his spot at openside flanker after a string of impressive performances.
Confirming the unacceptable nature of his side’s Round 3 performance, Azzurri boss Quesada has made several changes to his side for their London trip.
Starting at the back, where the electric Ange Capuozzo shifts from the wing to fullback, with Tommaso Allan dropping to the bench. The Toulouse fullback will link with two new wingers in Monty Ioane and Matt Gallagher to form an intriguing back three.
In the centers, the dynamic pairing of Tommaso Menoncello and Ignacio Brex, who were two of the bright spots for Italy in Round 3, continue their partnership.
Completing the backline changes, Vannes' Stephen Varney replaces Lyon’s Martin Page-Relo at scrumhalf, where he partners Paolo Garbisi, who will assume goal-kicking duties in Allan’s absence.
In the pack, Quesada has made two changes, with Saracens tighthead prop Marco Riccioni replacing Simone Ferrari.
At No. 8, Exeter’s Ross Vintcent replaces Lorenzo Cannone, who drops to the bench where Quesada has opted for a 6-2 split.
Key Matchup
Despite England’s 31-0 record against Italy in previous encounters, last year’s narrow 27-24 win in Rome proved the Azzurri no longer are an easy fixture.
Much of Italy’s threat lies in its center pairing of Juan Ignacio Brex and Tommaso Menoncello, who have built a formidable partnership at both club and international levels.
Dubbed ‘Brexoncello,’ their synergy has become a major talking point in Italian rugby.
Brex, 32, is a crafty playmaker with an eye for a pass, while the powerful Menoncello, 22, has proven himself as a dynamic runner capable of breaking defensive lines.
Their chemistry, honed at Benetton Treviso, has carried into the international arena, with Menoncello winning the Six Nations Player of the Tournament award in 2024.
“They have different characteristics but work together so well,” Quesada said. “Their understanding is instinctive, and that makes them very difficult to defend.”
Tasked with nullifying the Italian dynamos are a new-look England center pairing in Dingwall and Lawrence. Both still just 25-years-old, the physical pair bring a nice balance to the English midfield.
Dingwall is renowned as a strong distributor both from the boot and with his passing game, and he is defensively sound.
Replacing Exeter’s Henry Slade this week, and with Marcus Smith dropped to the bench, Dingwall will look to operate as a second distributor for Fin Smith.
Complimenting his partner’s strengths, Lawrence is a dynamic ball carrier who is capable of getting over the gainline with regularity before getting his hands free in contact.
Key Stats
Both teams have relied heavily on kicking throughout the tournament.
England leads the competition with 120 kicks in play, while Italy follows closely with 100.
Despite this tactical approach, England also has been one of the most effective ball-carrying sides, topping the charts in gainline success (63%), tackle evasion (26%) and dominant carries (38%).
Defensively, Italy has struggled to contain offloads, conceding 66 from tackles - 25 more than any other team.
England will look to exploit this vulnerability, with powerful runners, such as Tommy Freeman and Lawrence expected to test the Italian defense.
England has struggled in its past two home games, winning each by just a point. However, history suggests the English should be able to secure a comfortable victory, with only two of their previous home wins over Italy failing to yield a four-try bonus point.
Prediction
While Italy’s backline talent and midfield combination pose a threat, England’s superior depth, physicality, and experience at Twickenham should see them secure victory.
If England’s kicking game is accurate and the ball carriers dominate the gainline, they should be able to break down Italy’s defense and rack up a comfortable score.
Expect a competitive opening 40 minutes, but expect England to pull away in the second half. England by 15.
Team Lineups
England
15 Elliot Daly, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Fraser Dingwall, 11 Ollie Sleightholme, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Alex Mitchell, 8 Tom Willis, 7 Ben Earl, 6 Tom Curry, 5 Ollie Chessum, 4 Maro Itoje (c), 3 Will Stuart, 2 Jamie George, 1 Ellis Genge.
Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Fin Baxter, 18 Joe Heyes, 19 Ted Hill, 20 Chandler Cunningham-South, 21 Ben Curry, 22 Jack van Poortvliet, 23 Marcus Smith.
Italy
15 Ange Capuozzo, 14 Monty Ioane, 13 Juan Ignacio Brex, 12 Tommaso Menoncello, 11 Matt Gallagher, 10 Paolo Garbisi, 9 Stephen Varney, 8 Ross Vintcent, 7 Michele Lamaro (c), 6 Sebastian Negri, 5 Federico Ruzza, 4 Niccolo Cannone, 3 Marco Riccioni, 2 Giacomo Nicotera, 1 Danilo Fischetti.
Replacements: 16 Gianmarco Lucchesi, 17 Mirco Spagnolo, 18 Simone Ferrari, 19 Riccardo Favretto, 20 Manuel Zuliani, 21 Lorenzo Cannone, 22 Martin Page-Relo, 23 Tommaso Allan.
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