LONDON : England overpowered 31-14 Italy at Twickenham on Sunday with a display of traditional set-piece physicality to record a first win of the Six Nations and build momentum under new coach Steve Borthwick.
The hosts bounced back from defeat by Scotland with a display of belligerent if sometimes clumsy power rugby, built around a lineout maul that yielded unanswered first-half scores for Jack Willis, Ollie Chessum and Jamie George as well as a penalty try early in the second half.
Italy, who had given France such a torrid time the week before, struggled to cope at times with England’s ferocity and the direct midfield running of Ollie Lawrence, but did score through prop Marco Riccioni and replacement scrumhalf Alessandro Fusco as the second half loosened up.
Italy’s new talisman Ange Capuozzo cut loose with a few of his quick-stepping breaks, but it was England’s own rising star Henry Arundell who stamped out any thoughts of a comeback with a score in the left corner to seal the game.
(Reporting By Mitch Phillips and Lawrence White, editing by Ed Osmond)
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