Sunday afternoon television viewers are familiar with spaghetti westerns and England's win over Italy yesterday contained the good, the bad and the ugly. They remain unbeaten in this year's championship and lead the table on points difference but this strange game was proof that Clive Woodward's team have yet to shed their inconsistent ways.
At least no one could complain about value for money, for they saw two totally different matches. England won the first handsomely, leading 33-0 after 21 minutes, but in the last hour the margin was only 7-5 against the boys in blue and it was England who finished with furrowed brows.
In seeking the reasons for the turnaround it would be churlish to ignore Italy's contribution. Initially left for dead by a team of superior pace and class, they roared back to enjoy the lion's share of possession and, in the final analysis, total respect.
There was a brightness and hunger about England's opening forays and an Italian hand had still not touched the ball by the time Josh Lewsey dived over in the left corner.
The hooker Steve Thompson drove unstoppably over for a second and James Simpson-Daniel had time to run round behind the posts for the third.
There was more to come, too, with Lewsey providing the game's outstanding moment with his second try, England's fourth. Almost inevitably Lewsey was also involved in England's fifth try, slipping an inside ball to the muscular Mike Tindall but it was not until the 70th minute, when their latest debutant Ollie Smith put Dan Luger away, that England enjoyed another attack of note.
Italy, in contrast, increasingly dominated the rucks and deserved their 59th-minute try from Mirco Bergamasco.
ENGLAND: Lewsey (Wasps; Bracken, Saracens, 71); Simpson-Daniel (Gloucester), Greenwood (Harlequins), Tindall (Bath), Luger (Harlequins); Wilkinson (Newcastle, capt; Hodgson, Sale, 47; Smith, Leicester, 53), Dawson (Northampton); Rowntree (Leicester; M Worsley, London Irish, 60), Thompson (Northampton; Regan, Leeds, 65), Morris (Northampton), Grewcock (Bath), Kay (Leicester; Shaw, Wasps, 58), J Worsley (Wasps), Hill (Saracens; Sanderson, Sale, 65), Dallaglio (Wasps).
ITALY: Mirco Bergamasco (Padova); Mazzucato (Treviso), Vaccari (Calvisano; Peens, Overmach Parma 65), Raineri (Calvisano), Dallan (Treviso; Masi, L'Aquila, 17); Pez (Rotherham), Troncon (Treviso, capt; Mazzantini, Rovigo, 69); De Carli (Calvisano; Castrogiovanni, Calvisano, 49), Festuccia (GRAN Parma; Ongaro, Treviso, 74), Martinez (Treviso), Bezzi (Viadana), Giacheri (Rotherham; Bortolami, Padova, 47), De Rossi (Calvisano), Persico (Viadana), Phillips (Viadana; Palmer, Treviso).
Referee: A Rolland (Ireland).
