Italy Vs England - The minute by minute

[Danno]

Sorry about your disappointing wine, Digby

[Digby]

Thank you. I did at least finish it just to let it know how much it had underperformed.

[Digby]

Minute 67

England throw to Hill at the rear of a slightly shortened line with Billy at 9 as soon as the ball is won Billy joins the maul, George comes in to gather the ball at the back, once the drive goes nowhere George breaks left down the shortside and feeds Youngs. Youngs is tackled and from the resultant ruck Curry picks and goes down the shortside again and Italy have nobody at home, a very easy try, again frankly too easy, and we've struggled to score this many. Blue 17 could simply have stayed on the shortside to have a defender where he was, but he makes a 15m run around to the openside to be nowhere near where he could've tackled Curry from.

Minute 68

Faz bounces the conversion attempt off the left post

[Digby]

Minute 69

Italy kick deep and to the right into our 22, they're betting better on having chasers nearly in the right place when the kicker kicks.

The kick is a little infield of Curry, it's taken by Faz who kicks down into Italy's half say 20m off the left touchline and around the 10m line, not a contested kick it's just a get it out of our half kick. Italy again line up trying to play the ball wide and they concede huge ground with their passing. On the second of the pullback passes they take out 3 of their own possible carriers and if they'd put just one of them back in the deep line outside the receiver they should have been able to play to the edge, instead the receiver feels under pressure and tries to head back infield towards support from 20m or so behind where they started. Italy do get the ball back on their side and Violi simply makes a bit kick to relieve pressure which Youngs gathers running back towards our 22. Youngs kicks the ball back upfield and Furbank is on the chase of an uncontestable kick and gets there in time to see Italy kick it back to Youngs.

[Puja]

Thank you. I did at least finish it just to let it know how much it had underperformed.

That sentence could describe you analysing this game as much as it could you drinking your wine.

Puja

[Digby]

Thank you. I did at least finish it just to let it know how much it had underperformed.

That sentence could describe you analysing this game as much as it could you drinking your wine.

Puja

To summarise the game, as bad as you think England were, and they were, Italy were so much worse it was barely a contest.

[Digby]

Minute 70

Youngs passes, not kicks, and then things go wrong, and not because of the pass. I think Youngs passes because there would be some pressure on the kick, so he shovels it to Thorley and Thorley sets off on a run, and actually had Thorley stuck with his line of running things might have worked out better, but perhaps keen to do stuff he changes the line he's on and runs sideways across the Italian centres and loses contact, perhaps he should simply have kicked because almost the entire England team is on the other side of the pitch, and he's between Canna and Morisi not on the outside of Morisi, had he been on the outside of Morisi and thus outside the defence the run might have made more sense, but he wasn't.

It's not terrific work by Slade and Lawrence to get counter rucked, maybe the Italians arriving with momentum drive them out anyway, but they're not working as a two, they just both happen to be there. I was amused that whilst Italy were making carnage of our ruck Canna is on the floor besides sticking his leg up in the air like a periscope to deal with some cramp, which looked funny and meant as badly resourced as we were after Thorley's run things could have been worse still, I wonder if Eddie liked that attempt to run the ball out of our half?

I'm pretty sure Lawrence then dives on a loose ball with no ruck over it, which looks a bit like a penalty but it's ripped out from him and claimed by Negri having to run back a few metres and Italy have the ball on their left with a knock on advantage, the ref could've been kinder to them. Italy play to the right where England mostly were and struggle though contact to maybe get parity but not quick ball, and then come back left where Canna is still down but not stopping play (quite) and Polledri bounces back off Youngs but stays up until Slade completes the tackle. For me it's not been a good game for Polledri, and not being able to win contact with Youngs about sums it up. Italy play a couple more times right then left again, before setting another passing move, it's another passing move they're willing to give up 20m to play to the edge but again as they almost get to the edge it fails, this time with a pass that loops over one of the attackers in the line allowing the defence to close, it's good work on the blitz from England, especially Farrell, but if someone were to be accurate there our defence can be exposed. At the resulting ruck if anyone is trying to stay on their feet (or satay on their feet as autocorrect oddly opted for a moment ago) it's not obvious.

[Digby]

Minute 71

The ball rather bobbles out of the back of the ruck with Violi picking it up to play and he's got May all over him, I don't know May was behind a back foot but he wasn't pinged and given nobody was on their feet anyway I don't care much. May goes to group slapping either the ball or the arm of Violi as he was shaping to pass and the ball dribbles loose where May collects off his feet and then gets back up starting to run upfield. Play on.

Curry gathers at the base and again probes the shortside, this time Italy have cunningly left defenders there so Curry passes to Farrell. We're in the Italian half attacking off turnover ball, so Faz kicks it away, perhaps claiming it's kick in behind to chase but he's only running into the man in blue ahead of him and falling over so it's not much of a play, maybe he's trying to buy a cheap pen, if so I think even less of the decision. Canna gather the ball in the 22 under no real pressure, I doubt he wold have been even if Faz could have chased his kick, hopefully Faz apologised for that kick in the review of the game 'cause it's shite, back to the match and Canna belts the ball out up to the 10m line and suffers trouble with the cramp he had earlier, or maybe it's a sore hamstring, something isn't right so fair play to him for putting his foot through the ball.

Ewels on wins ball at the rear of a shortened lineout, ball out into midfield for Billy to carry up and he's dealt with pretty well by Italy, but next phase we use Mako and he goes win a little ground. Italy lying totally in the way is our play the ball and we have a penalty advantage. Youngs was looking to pass right but I'm supposing based on a shout from Faz goes left where England have a 5 on 5, but Italy don't have sweepers in place and Faz threads a kick through which works much better than his previous effort and to steal a little from the next minute Earl gathers and offloads to Slade as Earl is going down and Slade doesn't have to do a lot to fall over the line for a try


Minute 72

I possibly should have saved the 4 seconds stolen by the previous minute for this segment because not a lot else happens. I suppose the ball is put on a tee ready to be kicked, eventually

[Digby]

Minute 73

Faz misses with the conversion again, this time hitting the other post.


Italy restart and again there are metres between kicker and chaser, have Italy seen a really weird update on how far you have to be behind the kicker? What possible advantage do they see in granting some fraction of a second extra for an exit play? The game is about fractions of seconds and they keep giving this one away for free

Billy gathers the ball and runs almost to the edge of the 22, Robson freshly on sticks up a box kick which Italy can't gather cleanly, and with the ball going loose it's Robson who has the ball again.


Minute 74

Robson on gathering gets ahead of some England forwards so in theory can be supported, he's tackled and as he goes to ground an Italian forward folds over the ball, I suspect the Italian forward isn't exactly supporting his weight, but he's not pinged, Itoje can't shift him, and whilst I thought perhaps Italy had knocked the previous box kick on it was perhaps back off white because now it's a penalty to Blue. I've seen this marked against Robson which is bloody harsh.

Italy kick to touch, throw flat to Polledri at the front and then drop the ball forward setting the maul. Again at least it's a quick death on their own attack, that at least is merciful

[Digby]

Minute 75

Italy collapse the scrum, penalty England, Faz kicks it down past the 10m line in Italy's half. Not a value for money minute, but there have been far more of these and nothing even happened at all minutes in some previous reviews.

[Digby]

Minute 76

Itoje gets a hand to the lineout but under pressure and the tap back goes to ground rather than Robson. Robson tracks back to gather and looks to feed it back to 10 but Violi has pushed up to cut off that option. Robson goes to ground, we recycle and Stuart makes some decent ground back over halfway.

Then it's Genge's turn and he loses contact a little. Robson passes to Faz who challenges the line a little before dropping the ball off to Lawrence next to him and Lawrence makes a little ground in contact. Farrel acts 9 and the ball goes to Ewel who punches up, a little, recycled and Robson passes past Slade at 1st receiver to May who can only take contact, ball recycled and Robson passes to Curry at 1st receiver. Curry does have Farrell as a pullback option, but outside Faz on the open side our backline is Earl, Stuart, Genge, Billy and Itoje on the wing, Curry simply goes up the middle, probably a wise choice. Robson goes left again to Farrell who goes towards the line if not quite at before pulling it back to Slade who's worked across. The interesting thing about Faz nearly taking the ball to the line is he's got Stuart and George outside him and Earl and Thorley inside him, and 4 players is a lot to take out of the game with a pullback pass, not quite sure why you can't hold a defence with 2. Slade takes the ball into contact, we're still on/around halfway, and we're a little slow to support so get a 3 second ruck before the ball's back with Robson and he's looking to head back right.

[Digby]

Minute 77

Robson passes to Earl who offloads out of the tackle (what magic is this? burn the witch) to Ewels and Ewels gets the ball straight back to Robson supporting across. Robson has Farrell one out and a little behind him, Curry further wide and flatter. Curry would be the right option but Italy have pushed up to cut off Robson's passing options, as Robson is tackled he gets the ball back to Farrell and we'd have a great chance if Curry hadn't pushed up just before and was still an option outside Faz, again things just haven't clicked in attack, but it's nearly a chance to do something. Faz gets the ball out of the tackle to George and George puts in something that might be described as a pass off his left to May, May has multiple defenders ahead so kicks the ball ahead. Ball edges down the line and the covering Italian defender can only kick/nudge it into touch

England win the lineout in the middle and try to drive it up. And Genge gets pinged for obstruction, penalty to Italy which they kick out midway between the 10m line in their half and halfway

[Digby]

Minute 78

Itoje goes up to put pressure on the jumper, and he does interfere but nudges it forward in the process. Scrum blue


Minute 79

Free kick to Italy at the scrum, early engage by Genge. Polledri takes it quickly enough and builds up a little steam but is fairly well put down by Earl, next up it's Meyer and he bumps of Curry getting a good shoulder drive into Curry. Farrell rides him down giving a few metres and Italy have 2 men over the ball at a ruck where England put nobody into and Faz is already up and out into the line. 10 tries to charge the line, he's scragged and Italy move the ball right to Lucchesi who's tackled down by Farrell and Itoje and Ferrari comes into to headbutt Itoje, accidental one would think, he's head down and clattering into a ruck, but how that differs to Hill earlier I wouldn't care to guess at. Italy pop the ball off the floor to their 9 who didn't expect that and knocks it on.

[Digby]

Minute 80

England win the scrum, Billy picks up at the base and feeds Robson heading right. England have a 5 on 3 attacking down that shortside, though Italy will have men coming across off the scrum. Robson has Farrell almost behind him and Slade wider and flatter. The ball goes to Slade who tips it on to Farrell working around behind Slade, Italy haven't had to anything but drift and that plan works easily enough. Garbisi at least gets to drive Farrell back in contact, possibly his first win in the game. England have an advantage for Italy coming in at the side, Robson tries to play that dinking over the line for Itoje to run onto, that doesn't work so it's back for the pen.

Slade kicks to the right putting the pen out into the Italian 22, England win lineout in the middle and again try to drive which rumbles forward a little but once we get a warning from the ref Robson heads left and gives the ball to Thorley to head into contact. Left again to Dunn who runs up and wins a little ground in contact, okay he's fresh on but Eddie will like that, then from the base it's back right to Slade ignoring Genge on the hard line and Slade merely moves it on to Lawrence who drops the ball backwards gathers and takes contact near the right touchline.

Robson passes out to Curry, Curry has Dunn outside him and Itoje inside. Curry moves the ball out of contact to Dunn, but not putting Dunn into space so now Itoje can't support Dunn being blocked by Curry, and Curry can't as quickly has he's been partially tackled, Dunn manages to get squeeze ball back on our side, had the Italian player folding over the ball looked more like he was on his feet that could've made the ref more sympathetic to giving him a pen. Left again to Billy who wins in contact and managers not to run behind Ewels I think who was offering a different line and came close to obstructing. Ewels comes in quick to deter counter ruckers and slightly has his arm around the neck of the lad who tackled Billy down, it's not quite a neck roll but it's into the realms of giving the ref a chance to get involved.

Ball shoots out of the side of the ruck, didn't quite see why, Robson goes across to gather the ball and chooses not to shovel crap on and takes contact. We're heading left again and at the next ruck Polledri gives away advantage as he comes in with a late clatter on Itoje. As play continues Billy carries again and then Stuart before an Italian perhaps not supporting their own weight slows play and we're back for the Polledri pen, if I've not mentioned before this game is not Polledri's finest hour and 20

But then the pen is reversed for an earlier neck roll by England, not the Ewels one as I think the ref said 18 White so Stuart.

Garbisi taps and then boots the ball off, and thank god that's over.

[Puja]

Well done!

Puja

[Digby]

I'd forgotten how the match ended and as the last minute dragged on into the 83rd or 84th minute it felt like a long time. Somehow every time I start one of these I think it'll only take a couple of hours and then you keep getting interrupted, though it doesn't help when it's as bad a game as this one.

Main feeling after that match is there's nothing in watching Italy that confounds my belief in not having closed shops in market places

[Mr Mwenda]

The minute-by-minute reinforced the impression I had that England weren't as bad as it seemed and Italy were there to niggle their opponents out of their game.

I liked some of this analysis, and it paints a more positive picture of Italy's progress at least:

[Raggs]

It brushes over the missed (in my mind) chances by England, where we chose to kick instead of play an overlap, but it does also argue well as to why we're kicking.

[Digby]

It brushes over the missed (in my mind) chances by England, where we chose to kick instead of play an overlap, but it does also argue well as to why we're kicking.

Hard to see what changes this. Eddie clearly doesn't mind and from 9 and 10 if you're looking to kick it's harder to see other options. Maybe Slade at 12 can prove influential.

Something else which might be interesting is how much communication you can get from the wings, it's a great place to chill, smoke a pipe and scan the field, and right now you can make your voice heard. Whether it happens in the now I don't know, especially when at the highest levels you'd have little chance of hearing your winger over the crowd, unless it's an Italy Vs England game in which case they're probably fairly quiet, especially at Twickers