Six Nations 2023 LIVE rugby: Ireland vs France latest build-up and updates from Twickenham
Six Nations week one recap: England struggle while Ireland make statement
England take on Italy in the 2023 Six Nations, with Steve Borthwick aiming for his first win in charge of the Red Rose.
Last week’s defeat by Scotland underscores the magnitude of the task just months before the World Cup.
While Italy edged out France in their opening-week defeat in Rome, tonight’s tie turned into a clash between teams likely to battle to finish behind Ireland, France and Scotland.
After the Irish defeated Les Bleus in Dublin, Scotland defeated a weak side from Wales to draw level with world no. 1 at the top of the table by 10 points.
Follow the latest news from Twickenham in the 2023 Six Nations Round 2 final:
Steve Borthwick outlines England’s struggles after losing to Scotland
“We know we have a lot to do. I’ve said openly from day one that there’s still a lot to do,” Borthwick said ahead of the Italy game. “When I looked at the team in the fall, when I measured the team and got all the data for the team, we weren’t good at anything. It was that open.
“So we’re trying to build some strengths in this team, and some things we’re happy about and some things we’re disappointed about. My job is to make sure we make some improvements for Italy.
“There are several areas where we have tried to make changes. You saw some improvement in the scrum against Scotland, which made me happy because it was ranked as the worst scrum in top-flight rugby.
“We’ve seen some improvements in attack and ball speed and we’ve tried to improve the breakdown which saw England ranked ninth fastest, so one of the slowest in tier one.
“I saw a habit within the team of conceding points early and not being able to react to them. We conceded points against Scotland and the most important thing I looked at was the reaction. I thought the response was great.
“We’ve seen improvements against Scotland in many areas. Some areas didn’t go so well and we need to make sure we address those. Some take longer than others.
“We are trying to rebuild the set pieces here. This will need time. You’ve seen an improvement in our attack.
“There have been improvements there in terms of the way we scored in defence, but there have been a couple of tries which Scotland have passed brilliantly, which is to their great credit.
“I am disappointed with the result. I asked the players to do some things differently. I asked players to play in a new way.
“I have to get the players to believe in themselves and get the players to bring their strengths to the pitch.
“I want them to do their best, which is something we haven’t seen in a while. I think you saw an improvement against Scotland in that regard.
Jack RatbornFebruary 12, 2023 1:20 p.m
England vs. Italy: Confirmed line-ups
England XV: 15. Freddie Administrator; 14th Max Malins, 13th Henry Slade, 12th Ollie Lawrence, 11th Ollie Hassell-Collins; 10. Owen Farrell (Captain), 9. Jack van Poortvliet; 1.Ellis Genge, 2.Jamie George, 3.Kyle Sinckler; 4th Maro Itoje, 5th Ollie Chessum; 6th Lewis Ludlam, 7th Jack Willis, 8th Alex Dombrandt
Substitute: 16 Jack Walker 17 Mako Vunipola 18 Dan Cole 19 Nick Isiekwe 20 Ben Earl 21 Alex Mitchell 22 Marcus Smith 23 Henry Arundell
Italy XV: 15.Ange Capuozzo; 14. Edoardo Padovani, 13. Juan Ignacio Brex, 12. Luca Morisi, 11. Tommaso Menoncello; 10.Tommaso Allan, 9.Stephen Varney; 1. Danilo Fischetti, 2. Giacomo Nicotera, 3. Marco Riccioni; 4. Niccolò Cannone, 5. Federico Ruzza; 6. Sebastian Negri, 7. Michele Lamaro (Captain), 8. Lorenzo Cannone
Substitute: 16 Luca Bigi 17 Federico Zani 18 Simone Ferrari 19 Edoardo Iachizzi 20 Jake Polledri 21 Manuel Zuliani 22 Alessandro Fusco 23 Pierre Bruno
Jamie BraidwoodFebruary 12, 2023 1:20 p.m
When does England play Italy?
The match will kick off at 15:00 GMT on Sunday 12 February.
What TV station is it on and will there be a live stream?
It is shown live on ITV 1 and online on the ITV X platform.
Jamie BraidwoodFebruary 12, 2023 1:19 p.m
England vs. Italy line-up: team news ahead of the Six Nations game
Steve Borthwick’s first game as head coach ended in defeat for the hosts and Scotland continued their fine Calcutta Cup record.
Defeat in the opening round makes this encounter all the more important for Borthwick and his side, and Italy showed just how dangerous it can be with a brave loss to France.
Kieran Crowley’s side, who favor an open, attacking game to suit an expressive young side, have caught up with the defending Grand Slammers in Rome and will now seek their first-ever win over England.
Jack RatbornFebruary 12, 2023 1:00 p.m
Marcus Smith passed England as Steve Borthwick shuffled the midfield package
After starting the final eight Tests together, Smith was demoted to the bench to accommodate Owen Farrell’s selection in the fly-half rather than in the middle.
Former England manager Eddie Jones was hoping the creative alliance would blossom in time for the World Cup and Steve Borthwick kept the duo for his first game as manager against Scotland last Saturday but they have only sporadically fired as a partnership.
Borthwick has made a major overhaul in midfield, replacing Joe Marchant with Henry Slade at wide center, while Ollie Lawrence fills the 12 spot.
Jack RatbornFebruary 12, 2023 11:13 am