Italy v England
Nine tries to one looks like a cake-walk. Then you hear Simon Middleton confess: ‘We didn’t create a single chance in the first half.’
For the first quarter Italy were all over England, leading to string of penalties that were No 1 on the visitors’ banned list.
The Azzurre had the misfortune to lose their full-back Vittoria Ostuni-Minuzzi before kick-off; the resulting positional switches may have led to both England’s opening tries as first Emily Scarratt, then Meg Jones scooped up a missed pass to run through centre-field like knife through butter. Manuela Furlan did well to catch Jones, but she fed Vicky Fleetwood to complete the job. Nobody laid a hand on Scarratt.
This symbolised Italy’s problems. They played outstandingly well in those 40 minutes, showing continuity and a range of skills to keep England starved of possession. They used their favourite blind-side a lot, and were happy to start with a blazing move that ran the ball to the open-side wing.
But they didn’t create a try. England’s defence was unremitting, and Italy weren’t able to keep control right to the line. Against Scotland next week they are likely to show far more incisiveness.
A high tackle by Scarratt led to a rare yellow and a sixth penalty, converted by Michela Sillari. England were happy to let Helena Rowland eat up a few seconds before the break as she potted a penalty.
Half-time: 3-17
The second half showed the difference between a fully professional side desperate to impress the selectors and an amateur outfit enjoying their second outing in fourteen months.
The Red Roses now went to town, playing at high pace, repossessing in an instant and threatening all across the field. They did suffer a seventh penalty before Scarratt nailed another three-pointer. Meg Jones was enjoying herself, one moment dancing past grasping arms, then sliding a grubber through to win a 5m scrum.
Sara Barattin was the next to suffer ten minutes off the field; she was then replaced by Sofia Stefan. When Poppy Cleall came on for the skipper the dam really burst. Amy Cokayne led a catch-and-drive; when it was held Leanne Riley switched back to the blind-side where Abby Dow needed all her power to reach the line.
Then an exquisite move: a clean line-out, Jones switched in the centre to Scarratt, Alex Matthews made huge ground with step and strength, and there was Harriet Millar-Mills on hand, as she so often is, to complete a magnificent try. (3-34)
Two more minutes and it was Helena Rowland’s turn to show her 7s skills with a shimmy and over. (3-41) Poppy Cleall now fed Dow who seemed to walk past two defenders on her way to the line – she didn’t! (3-48)
Middleton was ringing the changes through this period, each newcomer intent on catching his eye. Bryony Cleall hoped she had scored, but Groizeleau indicated a forward pass.
There was a nasty moment when Maria Magatti’s head made contact with Dow’s in a tackle, but for once it was deemed accidental. It was Erika Skofca who was yellowed for not rolling away as the steamroller gathered pace in the last ten minutes. Now Bryony Cleall did gain her third try in three outings on the end of another catch-and-drive. (3-55)
Claudia Macdonald enjoyed a dummy and swallow dive to score next and in the 82nd minute Lark Davies scored her umpteenth try of the season by means that should be familiar by now.
The shock came when Scarratt’s kick failed to go over. Till then she had been perfect with eight conversions and the penalty.
Result: Italy 3 England 67
Player of the Match: Megan Jones
Teams:
Italy
15 Manuela Furlan (captain, Arredissima Villorba, 75 caps)
14 Aura Muzzo (Arredissima Villorba, 14 caps)
13 Michela Sillari (Valsugana Rugby Padova, 57 caps)
12 Beatrice Rigoni (Valsugana Rugby Padova, 43 caps)
11 Maria Magatti (CUS Milano, 33 caps)
10 Veronica Madia (HBS Colorno, 19 caps )
9 Sara Barattin (Arredissima Villorba, 95 caps)
8 Elisa Giordano (Valsugana Rugby Padova, 43 caps)
7 Giada Franco (HBS Colorno, 17 caps)
6 Ilaria Arrighetti (Stade Rennais, 45 caps)
5 Giordana Duca (Valsugana Rugby Padova, 18 caps)
4 Valeria Fedrighi (Stade Toulousain, 22 caps)
3 Lucia Gai (Valsugana Rugby Padova, 70 caps)
2 Lucia Cammarano (Rugby Belve Neroverdi, 24 caps)
1 Erika Skofca (Valsugana Rugby Padova, 2 caps)
Bench
16 Melissa Bettoni (Stade Rennais, 58 caps)
17 Gaia Maris (Valsugana Rugby Padova, uncapped)
18 Sara Seye Sara Tounesi (Romagnat, 16 caps)
19 Isabella Locatelli (Rugby Monza 1949, 23 caps)
20 Beatrice Veronese (Valsugana Rugby Padova, 4 caps)
21 Francesca Sgorbini (Romagnat, France, 5 caps)
22 Sofia Stefan (Valsugana Rugby Padova, 56 caps)
23 Alyssa D’Inca (Arredissima Villorba, uncapped)
England
15. Ellie Kildunne (Wasps, 12 caps)
14. Jess Breach (Harlequins, 16 caps)
13. Emily Scarratt (Loughborough Lightning, 92 caps)
12. Megan Jones (Wasps, 12 caps)
11. Abby Dow (Wasps, 15 caps)
10. Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning, 4 caps)
9. Leanne Riley (Harlequins, 41 caps)
1. Vickii Cornborough (Harlequins 57 caps)
2. Amy Cokayne (Harlequins, 54 caps)
3. Shaunagh Brown (Harlequins, 21 caps)
4. Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury, 21 caps)
5. Cath O’Donnell (Loughborough Lightning, 17 caps)
6. Alex Matthews (Worcester Warriors, 41 caps)
7. Vicky Fleetwood (Saracens, 77 caps)
8. Sarah Hunter (captain; Loughborough Lightning, 123 caps)
Bench:
16. Lark Davies (Loughborough Lightning, 29 caps)
17. Hannah Botterman (Saracens, 20 caps)
18. Bryony Cleall (Saracens, 2 caps)
19. Harriet Millar-Mills (Wasps, 59 caps)
20. Poppy Cleall (Saracens, 44 caps)
21. Claudia MacDonald (Wasps, 13 caps)
22. Zoe Harrison (Saracens, 27 caps)
23. Sarah McKenna (Saracens, 33 caps)
Non-playing reserve: Maud Muir (Wasps, uncapped)
Officials:
Referee: Aurélie Groizeleau (FFR)
ARs: Doriane Domenjo (FFR) and Francesca Martin (WRU)
TMO: Neil Paterson (SRU)
Afterthoughts
The game was switched from Padua to Parma in the cause of health and safety.
Sarah Hunter made an emotional return to international rugby after a gruelling and worrying absence of more than a year. She made her usual impact to help convince everyone that she can go on the World Cup next year. She played 53 minutes
Simon Middleton wanted intensity, big collisions, quick repossessions, high tempo, patience, physicality and unpredictability – quite a menu. His selection policy has been to check the field in the first two rounds. The trouble is, it’s very crowded. Sorting a starting Fifteen for Super Saturday will be only a tiny fraction easier now, the competition for places is so tight.
The shape of the Italy game is the problem. All the classy stuff occurred in the second half as the bench was increasingly emptied. This was the reverse of the Scotland game where England went off the boil after the turn-round.
There is a fortnight’s lull till England can expect to take on France ‘somewhere in England’, as they used to say in wartime. But first the French will have to dowse the fire that is Ireland next week. That is not a racing certainty.
The new Gilbert x Sportable ball will tell Helena Rowland exactly how far her longest punt flew and how long Emily Scarratt’s longest conversion was. It has a fiendishly clever chip hidden in its innards registered by monitors placed around the pitch
