England fell short of their best form, although they dominated the second half to stage a comeback and launch their Six Nations campaign with a victory in Italy.
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The pivotal moment came with Alex Mitchell’s try after the break, flipping the scoreline in England’s favor, followed by George Ford’s precise kicking that extended their lead.
Despite the Azzurri threatening a historic win over England, with Alessandro Garbisi and Tommaso Allan scoring around Elliot Daly’s finish for the visitors, England ultimately secured victory in Rome.
Monty Ioane managed a late consolation for Italy, earning them a losing bonus point in their narrowest defeat against England.
Despite Steve Borthwick’s squad not hitting their peak form, their victory secures the second spot in the table and puts an end to a four-game losing streak in Six Nations opening matches.
However, not everyone left a lasting impression in Rome, and three noticeable changes have been proposed for the upcoming clash against Wales at Twickenham next weekend.
#1. Fraser Dingwall
Rugby Pass 3.5/10: “A player with the patience of Job waiting for this Test debut, given the number of squads he was involved in without even playing, he encountered a baptism of fire defensively and will likely be a fall guy in the inner sanctum post-mortem.”
Planet Rugby 5/10: “Won’t like the missed tackle for Monty Ioane’s try in a debut performance where there wasn’t too much to shout about.”
Telegraph 5/10: “Grew into the game on his debut but fell off the tackle badly for Ioane’s try. England also need to involve him more as a ball carrier.”
RUCK 5/10: “Dingwall, long-awaited for his Test debut, struggled a lot in the opening 40. Criticised for a missed tackle leading to an opponent’s try, he got better as the game went on.”
Replacement: Max Ojomoh