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Afternoon all and welcome to ESPN's live coverage of Italy vs. England on weekend No. 2 of this year's Six Nations.
England arrive in Rome in a bid to continue Eddie Jones' winning start as head coach. Italy are no pushovers, as they proved last week in their narrow defeat to France, but history favours the visitors, who have won all 21 meetings between the two sides.
Italy: McLean, Sarto, Campagnaro, Garcia, Bellini, Canna, Gori, Lovotti, Gega, Cittadini, Biagi, Fuser, Minto, Zanni, Parisse (captain)
Replacements: Giazzon, Zanusso, Castrogiovanni, Bernabo, Steyn, Palazzani, Padovani, Pratichetti
England: Brown, Watson, Joseph, Farrell, Nowell, Ford, Youngs; M Vunipola, Hartley (captain), Cole, Lawes, Kruis, Robshaw, Haskell, B Vunipola
Replacements: George, Marler, Hill, Itoje, Launchbury, Clifford, Care, Goode
For all the gossip and views from the Stadio Olimpico, follow our man on the ground Tom Hamilton @tomESPNscrum. For some pre-kick off reading, cast your eyes over our preview ahead of today's game.
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Anthems over and it's England to kick off. ESPN's man in Rome Tom Hamilton is predicting a 31-12 victory for England. However, he says, if Carlo Canna performs for Italy, things could get a little bit closer...
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Here we go then, first scrum to England after Italy knock-on from the kick off. It's a cagey affair as England bide their time before hooking the ball. Out it comes and George Ford sees his pass out to the right intercepted by Italian hands. Line-out England.
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England gather the line-out but then Billy Vunipola, so good against Scotland last weekend, is robbed of the ball and Italy have a chance to run into open field. Michele Campagnaro goes smashing into Jonathan Joseph in midfield, and Italy make good territory before knocking on.
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Owen Farrell kicks an England penalty to touch but Italy regain possession after the resulting line-out. Campagnaro goes thundering into Joseph once again -- a match-up worth keeping an eye on this afternoon. Exeter Chiefs vs. Bath on the international stage.
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This is good stuff as Italy have England on the ropes on their own five metre line. The Azzurri, however, opt for blindside burst after blindside burst, and eventually prop Lorenzo Cittadini fumbles it on the left touchline.
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3 - 0 |
Remember what ESPN's Tom Hamilton said before kick-off? Carlo Canna could be key? He kicks the first points of the match from the left touchline, hanging the ball out to the right of the sticks before dragging it back between them.
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Courtney Lawes forces a knock-on from an Italian line-out and it's scrum England. Down goes the Italian front-row and it's another penalty to England. Bit of afters between the big men, too.
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| 11 |
3 - 3 |
Farrell - penalty goal
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| 13 |
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Not a great couple of minutes for Italy. Canna puts it out on the full from his own 10m line, while Marco Fuser is down receiving some fairly serious treatment. Ben Youngs capitalises on the numbers advantage and England make strides into the Azzurri half.
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Better from England. Ford and Joseph linking up on the Italian 22. Owen Farrell takes a big hit from Gonzalo Garcia and referee Glen Jackson sends him off for a head injury assessment. Faz says he doesn't want to go. Doesn't matter -- head injuries are serious business and the referee takes the decision out of his hands.
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3 - 6 |
Ford - penalty goal
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| 17 |
3 - 6 |
Canna -
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| 18 |
6 - 6 |
Canna - penalty goal
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| 19 |
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With Farrell off, George Ford has taken over the kicking duties for England, but it's Italy's Carlo Canna catching the eye so far. His second penalty from the left touchline draws Italy level.
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Time for an effort by Italy's long-range specialist Garcia. He steps up to thump a penalty from halfway... it falls just to the right of the posts. Decent effort, though. His beard is worth a mention too -- a big hairy triumph of facial fuzz.
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6 - 11 |
TRY TIME! And it's England who touch down for the first try. The visitors' make an excellent kick chase and Mike Brown snares Luke McLean with a tap-tackle. England recycle the ball brilliantly through the hands of Ben Youngs and Owen Farrell, who moves it out to Ford on the left wing. Over the fly-half goes in the corner, and all Italy's good work in the opening 20 minutes is undone.
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England are enjoying their rugby now. Anthony Watson steps off his left wing to make metres through the heart of Italy's midfield. His Bath teammate Joseph follows suit, while Italy are losing numbers to HIAs and knee injuries...
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Looks like Alessandro Zanni is off for a head injury, while Garcia appears to be the man struggling with a knee problem.
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Ford has a 22 drop-out for England after Canna's kick goes too long.
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Better from Italy as Garcia -- still struggling with his knee -- sneaks a grubber down the left touchline and Braam Steyn scampers after it. Mike Brown gathers for England and Steyn gives him a little shove, which naturally irks the fullback.
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Garcia goes off but Italy are really worrying the England line here. Youngs is pinged for a high tackle and England concede a penalty inside their own 22.
On another note, there's a picture doing the rounds of what looks like a little dust-up between Dan Cole and Andrea Lovotti. Referee Jackson had his back turned... One for the citing commissioner, perhaps.
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9 - 11 |
Canna - penalty goal
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Don't forget you can stick your nose into the live ESPN operation at half-time with our Periscope broadcast. Details below.
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You have to laugh. England steal an Italian line-out, only for Italy to snaffle back possession. With little penetration through the England line, Canna goes for the crossfield kick. Who's underneath it for Italy? You guessed it, Sergio Parisse. Turns out a 112kg No. 8 can't out-jump England wing Anthony Watson, and the visitors are out of the woods.
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A breathless end to the half! England work the ball out to Jack Nowell on the right wing and appear to have space to attack, but the blue shirts arrive to snuff out the danger. Italy then regain possession and charge back down the field, Ant Hill Mob style, with Nowell turned last-ditch defender. He can't hold onto the ball as he leaps to gather it, but Michele Campagnaro is then chucked into touch for the half-time whistle. Phew.
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| 40+1 |
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While the players go in for their half-time oranges, ESPN's Tom Hamilton is hard at work. Our man in Rome has this assessment of the game so far:
George Ford's 24th minute try separates the two sides at half-time and this is no easy ride for England. Italy have been hamstrung by three first-half injuries and they have had time on the ball and chances to punish England but their tendency to favour the blindside sees them run out of pitch and allows England to close them down. For England, Billy Vunipola has impressed while the Ford-Owen Farrell axis is working better than last week. That proved key in getting England over the whitewash but you sense they still have a few gears left in them.
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| 40+2 |
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Ding ding, round two! Carlo Canna gets us back underway in Rome.
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Sorry folks but not a lot to report in the opening minutes of this half so far. Italy have put-in at the scrum and England look like they're about to get the shove on, but the Azzurri gather it regardless. They're ping-ponging it around on halfway at the moment.
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Chance for England as they win a line-out 5m from the Italy tryline, but they spoil it by messing up an attempted maul. Referee Glen Jackson pings Dan Cole for obstruction and Luke McLean boots it to safety for Italy.
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Ooof. McLean leaps to take a high ball for Italy and in comes James Haskell, hitting the fullback heavily while he's still in the air.
The TMO has a look and advises "penalty to Italy". No yellow card though, and Haskell can count himself lucky.
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Canna misses his first penalty attempt of the half.
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| 50 |
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Dylan Hartley is pinged by the touch judge for shoulder-charging into the ruck. It didn't look anything out of the ordinary for the rough and tumble of the breakdown, but the England skipper concedes the penalty and that's what matters today.
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9 - 16 |
TRY TIME! Jonathan Joseph intercepts a Leanardo Sarto pass out to the right -- getting some great hang-time in the process -- and the England centre canters through for his side's second try.
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| 53 |
9 - 18 |
Farrell - conversion
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| 55 |
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Saracens' youngster Maro Itoje is on for his England debut. He goes to blindside flanker, with Chris Robshaw moving to openside, and James Haskell leaving the field.
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9 - 23 |
TRY TIME! After the big men do the business up front for England -- winning a penalty from the scrum and then keeping possession from the line out -- Danny Care puts a beautiful grubber through for Joseph, who gets his second of the afternoon under the posts.
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| 58 |
9 - 25 |
Farrell - conversion
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| 59 |
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Tom Hamilton's prediction of a 31-12 victory for England is looking a decent bet now.
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| 61 |
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England are really starting to take the upper hand now. The replacements in the scrum -- Joe Marler in particular -- are showing their worth, while Italy look like they're tiring.
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| 62 |
9 - 28 |
Farrell - penalty goal
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| 63 |
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England now have youth in the back-row as Jack Clifford comes on to join Itoje. Both good at the breakdown and England will expect to win turnovers with them on the field.
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| 65 |
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For all England's stranglehold on this game, Italy are camped on the visitors' tryline. Itoje is offside and the Azzurri put the resulting penalty to touch for an attacking line-out.
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Itjoe makes up for giving away the penalty by forcing a fumble from Parisse at the line-out. Billy V gather for England and off go the white shirts in the direction of Italy's half.
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| 68 |
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Italy are back in English territory but can't make it any further infield than the 22. Campagnaro clings onto the ball in the tackle and England win a penalty to relieve the pressure.
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| 69 |
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9 - 33 |
TRY TIME! It's a hattrick for Jonathan Joseph! Joe Launchbury picks up a loose pass and it's worked to Danny Care, to George Ford, to Joseph on the left wing, and over he goes with Italian defenders clinging onto his shirt. Impressive half from the Bath centre so far.
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| 71 |
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| 73 |
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The likes of Care and Itoje have made a big impact since coming on for England. Lots of talk in the build-up that rugby is a 23-man game, not 15, and England's bench has really impressed today.
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9 - 38 |
TRY TIME! Jack Clifford carries hard to make metres for England. Replacement hooker Jamie George picks up and offloads to Owen Farrell, running on a nice angle to glide under the posts. Game. Over.
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9 - 40 |
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Fulltime can't come soon enough for Italy. They're sucking up some big hits from English tacklers and are bogged down in their own half.
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| 79 |
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This is over as a spectacle. Italy with a lineout inside the English half but they don't look particularly interested in taking it. Very little energy left in those blue legs.
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| 80 |
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One last flurry for England as Watson chases a kick down the left wing. Luke McLean gathers for Italy, they knock in at the breakdown, and there's the final whistle. Job very much done for England and Eddie Jones. Italy tired after the break and had the stuffing knocked out of them by a Jonathan Joseph hattrick.
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As the players shake hands, ESPN's Tom Hamilton has this to say from the press box in Rome:
England ended up giving Italy the 'good hiding' that Eddie Jones called for but it was not all plain sailing. The first-half was at times lacklustre and England looked void of inspiration and lacked intensity but the introduction of Danny Care gave them a new spark in the backline and Jonathan Joseph's hat-trick signalled a welcome return to form for the outside centre. Maro Itoje and Paul Hill made their England debuts and this will be seen as another step forward for Jones' team and they are yet to concede a try in this year's Six Nations. Italy will lament an unfortunate batch of first-half injuries and will point to poor handling at key moments which let them down.
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