RBS 6 NATIONS 2008
ITALY v ENGLAND
Match Preview

England will be hoping to remedy their disastrous start to this year’s Six Nations tournament by coming out all guns blazing against Italy at the Stadio Flaminio. Having been part of a complete implosion in the second half against Wales, there will be many players who will be determined to get England back on track with a thoroughly convincing display on Sunday.

Continuing the trend where ‘anything that can go wrong, will go wrong’ amongst Brian Ashton’s England, the head coach has been forced into making a variety of changes from the starting XV that lost last weekend, most of which forced upon him by yet more injuries to key players. As a result, Andy Sheridan (calf), Mike Tindall (bruised liver), winger David Strettle (foot), flankers Lewis Moody (achilles) and Tom Rees (knee) are all set to miss the clash in Rome, with Tindall, Strettle and Rees likely to miss the whole competetion. As if matters could not get any worse, England captain Phil Vickery has been having trouble with a calf injury he suffered in training and could also miss out. Toby Flood meanwhile has been on limited training during the week though Ashton is convinced the Newcastle fly half cum centre will be able to start on Sunday.

Sheridan’s place in the front row is set to be occupied by London Wasps prop Tim Payne, whilst Vickery’s place would be taken by on form Bath prop Matt Stevens, should he be ruled out of the Stadio Flaminio encounter. Uncapped Jason Hobson joined up with the England squad in the week and would be named on the bench, having impressing all season for Bristol. Although many have questioned Vickery’s selection in the starting XV given Stevens’ form all season, the loss of the England captain would do very little for a team already low on morale. One has to question the wisdom however of taking said captain off after sixty minutes against Wales last weekend, thereby questioning the logic of picking a player unlikely to play the full 80 most games, as captain.

Even with the loss of both Sheridan and possibly Vickery, Italy prop Andrea Lo Cicero will not be fooled into thinking the Azzurri will face a weak England side in Sunday's Six Nations game in Rome.

"Any team can start the tournament on the wrong foot," said Lo Cicero. "But we cannot fool ourselves regarding the number of injured players they have because they have great players. Vickery is a player that I respect and admire. We have had so many battles in the past. We are the same age and I am jealous of his achievements, as world champion and as runner-up in last year's World Cup."

With the backrow also an area where England are suffering something of an injury crisis, Ashton will have been relieved to hear that Nick Easter, so impressive in the World Cup, has returned to full fitness and takes his place number 8 at the expense of newly capped Luke Narraway who had a fine game against Wales. The Gloucester man drops to the bench, whilst Bath’s Michael Lipman, another who’s been on fantastic form this year starts his first Six Nations competition at openside, with James Haskell retained on the blindside. Lipman now has the opportunity to add to the three caps he achieved against Australia and New Zealand.

“It is great to be back in the frame with England and it is great to get a chance to play international rugby,” said the Bath Flanker. “I am looking forward to it. Bath have been playing really well but my form for them is only as good as the team’s. It is a team sport and I am really looking forward to getting out there and playing with talented guys like Jonny Wilkinson. I am really excited about it.”

Underfire Andy Gommersall and Jonny Wilkinson are given another chance to impress, with Richard Wigglesworth and Danny Ciprianni having to again settle for a bench place. Jonny Wilkinson needs to just four more points to pass the 1000 mark for England.

Although Strettle may have a replacement on the left wing in the form of Lesley Vainikolo who had a solid if not quiet outing against Wales, the change can hardly be called like for like. Whereas David Strettle can tear oppositions to shreds with his elusive and quick feet, as demonstrated last week, Vainikolo offers a completely different style to England’s game, one that focuses on power and pace. Tongan-born Vainikolo may have impressed in the first half but he became a fringe figure in the dismal second half performance and England will be looking to bring him into the game far more against the Azzuri.

"I definitely want to get my hands on the ball more this time," said former rugby league star, "It's hard to be patient, but I've learnt that as a wing in union you have to be. In league you expect to touch the ball 20-25 times a game. In union it could a maximum of around 10.”

That, of course, is if you stay out wide. What Vainikolo hopes to do more against the Italians, beaten only 16-11 by Ireland in Dublin in their opening match, is make an impact in central areas too.

Relatively experienced England centre Jamie Noon comes in for the injured Mike Tindall, whilst Paul Sackey and under-fire fullback are retained on the wing and fullback respectively. Highly rated Newcastle flyer Matthew Tait regains his place in the 22, providing cover for a number of positions off the bench.

Italy coach Nick Mallett insists his inexperienced half-back partnership will quickly improve - starting against England in the Six Nations this weekend. Andrea Masi and Pietro Travagli played their first Test match together at fly-half and scrum-half in the narrow 16-11 opening defeat to Ireland on Saturday. And despite Mallett being less than satisfied with the team's display as a whole, he was relatively pleased with the pair's performance - especially that of his new number ten.

"In the match against Ireland, I would give Travagli a six while Masi deserves a seven or an eight," said Mallett. "I'm very happy with Masi's game: good in defence, in passing, in the physical play and in the anticipation. Obviously, we didn't give him the responsibility of kicking - instead entrusting Travagli and [David] Bortolussi - but not because he doesn't know how to kick well, only to let him get more confidence in his new role game by game.”

Italy make just one change for their Six Nations game against England, with Ezio Galon replacing Pablo Canavosio.

Regardless of the outcome, England coach Brian Ashton will know that an epic clash against France awaits his squad in two weeks time and going into that game with low confidence could prove disastrous. Ashton has promised that we’ll see ‘the real England’ this weekend, for the full 80 minutes, and that his team won’t be suckered into playing a tight ten man game they were seemingly forced into last year. If England want to challenge for the top spots in this year’s competition, nothing less than a thoroughly convincing win this weekend will be needed.

Italy: Bortolussi, Robertson, Canale, Mirco Bergamasco, Galon, Masi, Travagli; Lo Cicero, Ghiraldini, Castrogiovanni, Dellape, Del Fava, Sole, Mauro Bergamasco, Parisse (captain).
Replacements: Festuccia, Perugini, Nieto, Zanni, Picone, Marcato, Sgarbi.

England: Balshaw, Sackey, Noon, Flood, Vainikolo, Wilkinson, Gomarsall; Payne, Regan, Vickery (captain), Shaw, Borthwick, Haskell, Lipman, Easter.
Replacements: Mears, Stevens, Kay, Narraway, Wigglesworth, Cipriani, Tait.