RugbyRebels

FKAS wrote: ↑Mon Feb 05, 2024 9:15 am I think Chessum obviously had the role of pressuring Garbisi. Fly out the line and either hit or try to block what he was attempting. Unfortunately as all the space in the defence was wide Garbisi stood a little deeper and so Chessum struggled to get close before the ball was gone.

That tactic has worked before with Chessum but you need the opposition flyhalf to want to take it to the line.

I agree that it was probably a prearranged tactic, but the two times I've picked him up on it (so far?) were grotesque errors in judgement - both times he stood no chance of getting to Garbisi in time to stop the ball transfer, both times he decided to do it when we were short on numbers, and both times he did it when Marler was the player inside him - literally the worst player on the pitch to ask to cover a large gap in defence. If Garbisi is standing deeper, then you've got to have the understanding that you're not going to reach him and so therefore *not* *go*.

I will forgive Chessum a lot, because he's got credit in the bank, it's a new defensive system, and he's allowed a few errors while it's bedding in. But if he can't make that judgement call going forwards, then that cannot be his role in the team, cause we can't afford 7 points every time he goes for it when it's not on.

Puja

Puja wrote: ↑Mon Feb 05, 2024 11:13 am

FKAS wrote: ↑Mon Feb 05, 2024 9:15 am I think Chessum obviously had the role of pressuring Garbisi. Fly out the line and either hit or try to block what he was attempting. Unfortunately as all the space in the defence was wide Garbisi stood a little deeper and so Chessum struggled to get close before the ball was gone.

That tactic has worked before with Chessum but you need the opposition flyhalf to want to take it to the line.

I agree that it was probably a prearranged tactic, but the two times I've picked him up on it (so far?) were grotesque errors in judgement - both times he stood no chance of getting to Garbisi in time to stop the ball transfer, both times he decided to do it when we were short on numbers, and both times he did it when Marler was the player inside him - literally the worst player on the pitch to ask to cover a large gap in defence. If Garbisi is standing deeper, then you've got to have the understanding that you're not going to reach him and so therefore *not* *go*.

I will forgive Chessum a lot, because he's got credit in the bank, it's a new defensive system, and he's allowed a few errors while it's bedding in. But if he can't make that judgement call going forwards, then that cannot be his role in the team, cause we can't afford 7 points every time he goes for it when it's not on.

Puja

that and some daft errors at the breakdown, but he is/will be top notch.

Minute 36: Italy drop-out from their line and it's a decent attacking set-up for England this - we pass it across the line and first Earl, then Underhill make good attacking metres.

Ford just isn't running onto the ball at all - he's catching it and then running, which is giving the defence so much more time to react because they can be confident that he's not going to run around them from a standing start.

A few more decent forward carries without much in the way of actual penetration and at last Ford looks vaguely dangerous. He accelerates and dummies inside to Steward - Ford's taken care of handily, but Steward looked threatening enough that the Italian defence take him out on general principles and we get the advantage, which Mitchell then pisses away immediately by grubbering the quick ball away into touch.

Minute 37: We go back for a kick at goal and the minute is spent with Ford not kicking - the shot clock definitely started late there.

Minute 38: Ford knocks it over and we're 17-14. Italy once again drop the kick-off onto Itoje's lifting pod and I'm confused as to what they're hoping to accomplish with that. They do at least sack the maul and we resort to the caterpillar.

Minute 39: Not as good a box-kick this time, as it's a bit further infield and we have to tackle rather than compete. We are once again failing with basic counting and spacing in defence - Freeman is our widest player and is a full 20 metres from the touchline and some faster hands from Italy could easily have seen them round us. On the flip side, we are up very quickly on them and swarm the man who receives the ball, so it's possibly the defensive pattern working as planned? Who knows.

Italy are slowed and put up a high ball on Ford, who does just about enough to stop Pani taking it. The ball bounces to Daly who puts in a beauty of a kick down the 5m channel to clear. It goes to a kicking rally which England are on top of, ending in Garbisi going for touch, but instead finding Freeman...

Minute 40: Freeman carries the ball back and jags inside to break a tackle and get England on the front foot. We go right and then left with good carries and quick ruck ball, before spinning it out to Dingwall, who draws in the defence before putting a beautiful lobbed pass over Pani's attempted block and into Daly's hands on the run. Daly chips over Allan, easily beats him to the ball, and would've had a special try if it wasn't for the fact that the bounce of a rugby ball always hates you and it leaps up over his head and into the hands of the chasing Italians. Boo.

Underhill smashes the ball-carrier, but Italy do enough to return the ball and count down to 40:00 before kicking it dead.

Minute 41: We kick off long and Freeman does a great job to disrupt the lifting pod and knock the ball loose. It's so close to landing into Itoje's arms and setting up a belting start, but it's just out of reach and instead it's a scrum. Surprisingly, we just about get it done in the same minute and Cannone picks and goes from the base.

Minute 42: Underhill is once again very slow off the scrum and Mitchell and Ford are left to deal with the number 8. They do so effectively and Italy set up a caterpillar, but Chessum does a great job to half charge-down the box-kick. The ball is tapped back to Ford, who is a bit indecisive as to which way to go and ends up just being brought down a metre away from where he caught it. The commentators explain to the "casual viewer" why there's no Owen Farrell today. Roots carries up and sets a decent platform, but Slade has decided that we've had enough after just two phases and puts up a high ball that is just catching practice for Allan in the 22 to take a mark. Free second chance for Italy to clear their lines.

Minute 43: The spirit of generosity is in the air, as Allan fails to find touch from the mark, instead dropping it on Slade's head, and Slade proves practice makes perfect by putting up another high ball. Allan catches this one with ease as well, but then loses two ribs to a beauty of a legal tackle from Slade that arrives a milisecond after the ball.

Italy keep hold of the ball, but GarbisiTheSmaller doesn't fancy the box this time, instead farming out to big bro, who is menaced by Itoje. It's not a great kick, but the chase is excellent and Freeman taps back under pressure to Ford. Stays on his feet and loops around Ford, who fixes the chasing defender and lays it off for Freeman to have a run down the wing.

Freeman burns his man on the outside, puts it onto his toe to beat the 15 charging across and is first to get to what would've been a try if the bounce of a rugby ball didn't always hate you. The ball abruptly changes direction on the third bounce and takes a right angle into touch. Bastard.

Minute 44: Italy go over the top at the lineout and just about manage to get the ball secured and away, but GarbisiTheBigger's kick only just makes touch and Freeman can chuck a quick lineout to Steward. Steward makes a nice run, beating a man and charging into the 22, but the ruck is a mess and Italy come round offside and scrag Mitchell - the ref calls ball was out, but I really don't think it was. We reset anyway and pass the ball out, with some nice draw and gives from Ford, Dingwall, and then Daly gives Slade a run down the wing - the last pass from Daly looks horrendously forward, but the ref pays us back for the offside call a second ago by ignoring it entirely. Slade makes decent ground and then Chessum carries it up - he gets held and it's slower ball, but still secure and deep in the 22.

Minute 45: Mitchell picks and goes blind and Italy are numbered up 3-on-3, but it's a big blindside and the guard defender is a big lock who's slow to react. Mitchell arcs wide and attacks the gap between the guard and the 2nd man - the guard is watching the line Dingwall is running and only realises late that the guard isn't getting there and he needs to step in. The tackle is weak and Mitchell can step out of it, drive through Allan's despairing covering flail at him, picks himself up and dives over the line.

Minute 46: Ford adds the conversion and England go 17-21 up.

Italy kick off short and it's an all-or-nothing gambit, because Chessum is inches away from catching that AFL style and he's got a 60m unopposed sprint to the line (with Freeman for company) if he does. Could've been very messy for the Azzuri. As it is, Chessum doesn't make the catch and the ball bobbles around.

Minute 47: Italy just about regain possession, but it's lost shortly afterwards as they pass into midfield and Itoje delivers a masterclass - big tackle on Lamaro, then bouncing to his feet, perfect technique to be on the right side, gives a little pigeon flap to show release and then straight in over the ball. The referee gives him the penalty that is his due and Slade does it justice with a touchfind going right into the corner.

Minute 48: Boo. England look to go up quickly in the middle, but Italy have absolutely read it and make a complete mess to win the ball back. First lineout lost and what a terrible time to do it. Italy get the ball back, manage to form a stable ruck and pass back for Garbisi to absolutely shank the ball into touch, about 3m further back than the original lineout. It's bizarre - they've got 400m long in-goal areas, but Garbisi is consistently standing close enough for England to pressure, despite being able to stand as far back as he wants.

Minute 49: England win this lineout, but Italy do a good job of being a nuisance in the maul defence, so Mitchell plays away. Slade is standing in at first receiver again and there's a nice set move where he has three options - Dingwall crash, Ford short, Freeman looping around - and the runs are all delivered with such conviction that almost any one of them would've been a fantastic option, which probably explains why Slade tries to pick all three at once and passes to the floor. Daly recovers the bobbling ball and shows gorgeous hands to flip it up to Freeman who has continued his run. We carry on the attack with a couple of forward crashes and then get too fancy - Earl pulls it back when Italy have a full defensive line and so that leaves our backs behind our forwards with nothing really to run at, and then Dingwall makes it worse by trying to force a pass that isn't there and sending it to ground where Italy can kick through and charge. Steward rescues it from going further, but the ball is bobbling about and it ends up as a knock-on by England, which is probably fair.

Minute 50: We faff about for most of the minute setting up the scrum. The most interesting this about this minute is the graphic saying that 61% of England's rucks have been 1-3 seconds, which is a ridiculous improvement over last year's team. I believe as well that we only concede one breakdown turnover all game as well - it's easy to say "it's only Italy", but Lamaro, Negri, and Cannone are not a poor back row and I think Strawbridge may be the best signing of the 6N. The difference, to my eye, has been in ball-presentation - players are going into contact with an eye on how they're going to get the ball back, which has made a massive, massive difference.

We do get a treat at the end of the minute - Italy get the ball out (I don't recall seeing many reset scrums at all so far - are both sides just cooperating or has it been excellent refereeing?) and try a move threatening to attack Ford before pulling it back, but England have read it like a book/got lucky and swarm the man catching it.


That's me done for another evening. More of the second half another day.

Puja

Keep it up Puja, I absolutely adore these and it usually gets me rattling through the match a couple more times. There's a bit of a tribute act for a recently retired player in this one

How Roots got PotM over Freeman only DallaMOTAHWAY'ligo knows. The fool.

Danno wrote: ↑Tue Feb 06, 2024 12:23 am Keep it up Puja, I absolutely adore these and it usually gets me rattling through the match a couple more times. There's a bit of a tribute act for a recently retired player in this one

Thank you - I really appreciate knowing I'm not just writing into the void. I enjoy doing them too (for certain values of enjoy), but I'd feel like a bit of a prat if I was putting hours into this and no-one was reading!


Minute 51: Italy look to come back the other way, but Chessum shows he's learned something and this time flies up on a player that he's able to reach. However, his tackling technique is atrocious and, instead of burying the Italian, he gives him the old upright hug and is a little lucky not to get a head-on-head and red card. Itoje saves him with a decent tackle and Italy try and go again, but this time the Italian carrier has one eye on the England defence flying up and forgets to take the ball with him.

We have a knock-on advantage, which Daly uses to put a bizarre cross-field kick in - it makes no forward ground whatsoever, drops a metre from the touchline so Slade is ushered into touch, and it's 2-on-2, so even if it'd been perfect, it still wouldn't've accomplished much. The referee very generously agrees to go back for the scrum - wouldn't've blamed him for saying we'd kicked it away.

Minute 52: Just as I say that there's been no resets, Italy fold over to concede the free-kick and England call for another scrum.

Minute 53: England drive through the scrum and earn the penalty. George points towards goal.

Minute 54: Ford slots it for 17-24. Italy kick long...

Minute 55: ...and it lands on Ben Earl in the 22. We set up the caterpillar and Mitchell box-kicks away. He's irked with how short a distance the touch judge gives him, but it's not one of his finest, regardless, ending about 30m out. Italy throw to the middle and, while Chessum can't steal, he does enough to pressure the tap-down and throw out Italy's rhythm.

Minute 56: Italy try and play their move anyway, but England are up hard and Ford makes a good tackle. Our defence looks aggressive and Slade's unlucky not to get an interception - as it is, it bobbles off his hand for an Italian scrum.

Minute 57: Italy run a very nice move off the back - two players jacking left and leaving Freeman with a 2-on-1. I'm critical of Roots not being keen to get off the scrum there - it's a big blindside and it's part of his job to cover that, but I guess his argument would be that Cole wanted him pushing at the scrum. It costs us 30 metres, as Italy play the 2-on-1 and get into the 22 before the cover comes across. Itoje is pinged for an offside when taking an intercept in the next phase and I think it's probably a good one to concede - he was struggling to get back fully and the ball came too quickly, so his choices were either to engage or leave a hole and I think the professional foul was the right call.

Minute 58: Italy go for goal. This penalty terrified me when I watched the game for the first time, cause I'd been out playing rugby myself while it was live and had managed to get most of the way home before overhearing that the score was 27 points to 24. I didn't know which way around those scores went though. I'd assumed that it was England, cause we don't lose to Italy, but this penalty was relatively easy, especially for a kicker like Allan, and taking the 3 points would leave the score as 20-24, or mathematically impossible for Italy to finish on 24 points. Left me in the odd position where a nothing kick in the 58th minutes to everyone else, was to me the win-or-lose moment that the entire match result rested on. And to build the tension, it doesn't even get kicked in this minute...

Minute 59: The ball's going straight down the middle and the match is lost... and then it veers away to the right and England are still in it on my replay. Phew.

Mitchell goes off - he had a great game and one can only assume that he needed a shorter shift after not training for most of the week. England kick the 22 drop-out and it's an excellent kick that Freeman puts pressure on and nearly gets the turnover, but it ends up bobbling out for an Italian throw on the 10m line.

Minute 60: Not a lot happens as there's a bit of toing and froing about whose lineout it is. The correct decision is finally made and Italy throw to the front under massive pressure from Itoje and are lucky to get the decision for a knock-on and blue scrum.

Puja wrote: ↑Mon Feb 05, 2024 11:55 pm Minute 46: Ford adds the conversion and England go 17-21 up.

Italy kick off short and it's an all-or-nothing gambit, because Chessum is inches away from catching that AFL style and he's got a 60m unopposed sprint to the line (with Freeman for company) if he does. Could've been very messy for the Azzuri. As it is, Chessum doesn't make the catch and the ball bobbles around.

Minute 47: Italy just about regain possession, but it's lost shortly afterwards as they pass into midfield and Itoje delivers a masterclass - big tackle on Lamaro, then bouncing to his feet, perfect technique to be on the right side, gives a little pigeon flap to show release and then straight in over the ball. The referee gives him the penalty that is his due and Slade does it justice with a touchfind going right into the corner.

Minute 48: Boo. England look to go up quickly in the middle, but Italy have absolutely read it and make a complete mess to win the ball back. First lineout lost and what a terrible time to do it. Italy get the ball back, manage to form a stable ruck and pass back for Garbisi to absolutely shank the ball into touch, about 3m further back than the original lineout. It's bizarre - they've got 400m long in-goal areas, but Garbisi is consistently standing close enough for England to pressure, despite being able to stand as far back as he wants.

Minute 49: England win this lineout, but Italy do a good job of being a nuisance in the maul defence, so Mitchell plays away. Slade is standing in at first receiver again and there's a nice set move where he has three options - Dingwall crash, Ford short, Freeman looping around - and the runs are all delivered with such conviction that almost any one of them would've been a fantastic option, which probably explains why Slade tries to pick all three at once and passes to the floor. Daly recovers the bobbling ball and shows gorgeous hands to flip it up to Freeman who has continued his run. We carry on the attack with a couple of forward crashes and then get too fancy - Earl pulls it back when Italy have a full defensive line and so that leaves our backs behind our forwards with nothing really to run at, and then Dingwall makes it worse by trying to force a pass that isn't there and sending it to ground where Italy can kick through and charge. Steward rescues it from going further, but the ball is bobbling about and it ends up as a knock-on by England, which is probably fair.

Minute 50: We faff about for most of the minute setting up the scrum. The most interesting this about this minute is the graphic saying that 61% of England's rucks have been 1-3 seconds, which is a ridiculous improvement over last year's team. I believe as well that we only concede one breakdown turnover all game as well - it's easy to say "it's only Italy", but Lamaro, Negri, and Cannone are not a poor back row and I think Strawbridge may be the best signing of the 6N. The difference, to my eye, has been in ball-presentation - players are going into contact with an eye on how they're going to get the ball back, which has made a massive, massive difference.

We do get a treat at the end of the minute - Italy get the ball out (I don't recall seeing many reset scrums at all so far - are both sides just cooperating or has it been excellent refereeing?) and try a move threatening to attack Ford before pulling it back, but England have read it like a book/got lucky and swarm the man catching it.


That's me done for another evening. More of the second half another day.

Puja

good call on strawbridge, was thinking that this morning! Great work as others have noted, its great detail and entertaining to boot!

Puja wrote: ↑Tue Feb 06, 2024 11:45 am Minute 56: Italy try and play their move anyway, but England are up hard and Ford makes a good tackle. Our defence looks aggressive and Slade's unlucky not to get an interception - as it is, it bobbles off his hand for an Italian scrum.

Minute 57: Italy run a very nice move off the back - two players jacking left and leaving Freeman with a 2-on-1. I'm critical of Roots not being keen to get off the scrum there - it's a big blindside and it's part of his job to cover that, but I guess his argument would be that Cole wanted him pushing at the scrum. It costs us 30 metres, as Italy play the 2-on-1 and get into the 22 before the cover comes across. Itoje is pinged for an offside when taking an intercept in the next phase and I think it's probably a good one to concede - he was struggling to get back fully and the ball came too quickly, so his choices were either to engage or leave a hole and I think the professional foul was the right call.

Minute 58: Italy go for goal. This penalty terrified me when I watched the game for the first time, cause I'd been out playing rugby myself while it was live and had managed to get most of the way home before overhearing that the score was 27 points to 24. I didn't know which way around those scores went though. I'd assumed that it was England, cause we don't lose to Italy, but this penalty was relatively easy, especially for a kicker like Allan, and taking the 3 points would leave the score as 20-24, or mathematically impossible for Italy to finish on 24 points. Left me in the odd position where a nothing kick in the 58th minutes to everyone else was the win-or-lose moment that the entire match result rested on for me. And to build the tension, it doesn't even get kicked in this minute...

Minute 59: The ball's going straight down the middle and the match is lost... and then it veers away to the right and England are still in it on my replay. Phew.

Mitchell goes off - he had a great game and one can only assume that he needed a shorter shift after not training for most of the week. England kick the 22 drop-out and it's an excellent kick that Freeman puts pressure on and nearly gets the turnover, but it ends up bobbling out for an Italian throw on the 10m line.

Minute 60: Not a lot happens as there's a bit of toing and froing about whose lineout it is. The correct decision is finally made and Italy throw to the front under massive pressure from Itoje and are lucky to get the decision for a knock-on and blue scrum.

Game dropped noticebly when Mitchell departed, he'd done enough for MOTM even so,imo. Despite the moaning over box kicking, which I get, he put in a very display of it, with a lot being recovered or man and ball wrapped. He looked very good distributing and speed to the breakdown as well.

Banquo wrote: ↑Tue Feb 06, 2024 12:17 pm
Game dropped noticebly when Mitchell departed, he'd done enough for MOTM even so,imo. Despite the moaning over box kicking, which I get, he put in a very display of it, with a lot being recovered or man and ball wrapped. He looked very good distributing and speed to the breakdown as well.

Must be all that training he missed.

Puja wrote: ↑Tue Feb 06, 2024 11:42 amThank you - I really appreciate knowing I'm not just writing into the void. I enjoy doing them too (for certain values of enjoy), but I'd feel like a bit of a prat if I was putting hours into this and no-one was reading!

Oh, we love 'em

Puja wrote: ↑Tue Feb 06, 2024 11:42 am

Thank you - I really appreciate knowing I'm not just writing into the void. I enjoy doing them too (for certain values of enjoy), but I'd feel like a bit of a prat if I was putting hours into this and no-one was reading!

Thank you for all your effort. I must confess I am quite addicted to them.

One more thanks, @puja, for these excellent M-by-M analyses!

And another. Great work Puja.

I miss Digby

Mellsblue wrote: ↑Tue Feb 06, 2024 9:32 pm I miss Digby

And Beefeater, for different reasons. Puja does this well, mind.

Didn't Stom already volunteer himself for this, or was that ruck marks?

Maybe he can do a Dombrandt-only minute-by-minute if he gets a game.

Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Wed Feb 07, 2024 8:43 am Didn't Stom already volunteer himself for this, or was that ruck marks?

Maybe he can do a Dombrandt-only minute-by-minute if he gets a game.

You have hit on something there. I will do Dan Cole. Likely to be a slow burn but incredible leg extension to form the caterpillar is bound to feature

Mellsblue wrote: ↑Tue Feb 06, 2024 9:32 pm I miss Digby

Barred - too political.


Minute 61: We fail to scrum for most of the minute, but the ref gives an Italy free-kick for something that the camera angle is too artsy to bother showing us. They go quick and run a hard line in midfield, only to be absolutely stopped and dumped by Dingwall. Great tackle, made better by him picking himself up and making the next tackle as well. #bouncetime

Minute 62: England are up and aggressive in defence and it's rattling Italy. A few missed tackles which need to be amended, but we're swarming and the attack only lasts a few phases before a knock-on at the base gives an England scrum. Dingwall made three tackles in under 30 seconds.

Minute 63: Weird move this. England have secure ball from the back of a scrum, Earl pops to Care who is set up to go down the blind and England appear to have an overlap with Ford and Freeman angling to go that way. However Care then swings the ball open to Slade, attempting to catch Italy overfolding. They haven't really bought into it though, which means that if Care looked up and changed his big pass into a big dummy, we'd be 3-on-1 down the right.

Despite that, we've got a decent attacking line on the left, with Slade standing at 10, the long pass cutting out the tight defence, and room to attack into, but Slade decides he doesn't fancy a 4-on-3 and instead kicks long, landing the ball comfortably in the Italian 14's arms. Just very average all the way around.

The chase is good though, so Pani kicks the ball back to Slade, who puts up a high ball that he chases and melts the catcher again. It *is* a great chase, but we've not got the ball back and I'm still upset about us just giving away that lovely possession off the scrum a second ago.

Minute 64: Italy optimistically go wide on the edge of their 22 - they do have width and England are narrow, but we come flying up and cut them off so they have to come inside. Marler's possibly a bit lucky no-one looks at a replay of his tackle as it looks a bit head contacty, but probably only a yellow. Varney decides discretion is the better part of valour and cowardice is the better part of discretion and sets a caterpillar and kick for a good touch by the halfway.

Minute 65: Short lineout and a very good, tight maul, with players disengaging and reengaging every time Italy try and swing around to the wrong side. Good technique. Care puts up a box-kick and it doesn't look like a great use of possession, but it's high and the chase is good and Italy make a mess of it so we've got the ball back and I'll give him that it's a good result. We zigzag left and right with forward carries and Care earns his paycheque with some pantomime-level outrage at an Italian being "in his way" on the wrong side. It's a definite penalty, but Care makes absolutely certain that the ref gives it to us.

Ford uses the advantage to put in a chip and it's a good decision but a touch long - 50cm shorter and Slade's taking that on the full and sending someone under the posts. As it is, the ball bounces for a flailing Italian foot to kick it away. We do recycle and Ford chucks a massive wide pass out to Daly, who has a one-on-one with Pani with about 10m run-up and 25m of width to play with. Daly has a look... and decides he doesn't fancy his chances. He's probably right - Pani's not slow and he's done a decent job of cutting down the space, but you feel like Feyi-Waboso or Freeman would've gone for that (or hells, May absolutely would've done, even now). They might not have made it, but they'd've felt confident backing themselves there and it's disappointing that Daly doesn't.

As it is, he steps inside, gets swallowed up by the cover, and the referee comes back for the penalty.

Minute 66: Fin Smith very ostentatiously warms up. I've been there Fin - dramatically stretching on the touchline in the eyeline of the manager I don't know when the shot clock starts from, cause there's apparently still 22 seconds left on it in this entire minute of the penalty not being kicked.

Minute 67: Ford slots the easy 3. Turns out that this is FSmith's moment to come on, alongside CCS. Ford moves in to 12... oh no wait, we're not playing Captain Untouchable today, it's just a 10 for 10 swap.

Earl gathers the restart and we kick long - Allan gathers and throws a pass inside that... we'll call it flat? Dubiously lateral? A bit Super Rugby, perhaps? Anyways, Lamaro gets to have a run-up into the England defence and is well-tackled by Roots.

Minute 68: Italy look to go wide around some narrow defence, but England are fair sprinting up in midfield and the pass needed to go over the top has to go high enough that we can spread out to mark the winger. Ioane cuts back inside and Italy reset and rego, but they've lost 10m from our linespeed and go even further backwards the next two phases. They kick long and it's a good one, clearing FSmith and then teaching him the value of catching on the full by changing direction with every bounce like a hyperactive roomba. Smith gathers it on the fourth bounce and feeds Steward who leathers it a long way downfield and into touch.

Minute 69: Italy muff the lineout throw slightly and Itoje pounces on the catcher as soon as he hits the floor, knocking the ball free. It bobbles around and the ref gives England the scrum for the ball bouncing off blue into blue.

Minute 70: The ref gives a penalty against Cole for bringing the scrum down and at first and second viewing I was cross, but on detailed examination, I think he's spot on and has done an excellent job in spotting some dark arts (and it matches his description of what he's given the penalty for as well). I don't say this as often as I should - good job ref!

Italy kick downfield. The lineout is solid at the front and Italy set a well-prepared drive.


ETA. Called it for tonight. Will do the rest tomorrow.

Puja

Italy are close, so close. I love their half back, even as he plays two steps ahead of his forwards. Get the Capuzzo back in there. Vai avanti . No more quizzical meltdowns at the 50 minute mark.

Thanks as ever Puja

Generally a lurker - but MbM are definitely one of the reasons I continue to come back time and time again!
So thanks from me too, @Puja!