ITALY v ENGLAND:EVEN IF Italy manage to beat England tomorrow the novelty factor will struggle to eclipse the sight of snow falling here yesterday for the first time in 24 years. Martin Johnson's squad were even temporarily snowed-in to their five-star hilltop palazzo and were later trapped on their team bus for an hour and a half as the city became gridlocked.
A sharp blast of northern European air is hardly alien to England but it does reinforce the old Six Nations adage that the unexpected will materialise at some stage. While Italy’s record against their visitors – played 15, lost 15, points for 187, points against 630 – is not pretty, the margin two years ago was only four points. If two inches of snow can settle on the pavements of Vatican City, the Azzurri are entitled to keep believing.
Tomorrow theoretically offers a glimmer of a chance, purely on the basis England’s recent away record is poor. They have lost 10 of their past 13 Six Nations games away from Twickenham, a tally that includes a couple of wins in Rome and a rare victory in Paris, in 2008. Since Johnson was appointed almost 22 months ago, they have not beaten anyone away. Little wonder England say they are taking nothing for granted.
To make it happen, though, Italy are going to have to improve appreciably on their set-piece efforts in Dublin last week when their lineout fell apart and they failed to exert their usual scrummaging authority. Perhaps as a partial consequence England have loaded their bench with five forwards and two backs, leaving the luckless Ben Foden to kick his heels again. The chief beneficiary is Worcester’s Matt Mullan, the 22-year-old who was a hooker before he was converted into a loosehead by the former Wales coach Mike Ruddock. He stands every chance of winning his first cap as England seek to squeeze the home pack until they crack.
With the stomach bug that ruled the captain, Steve Borthwick, out of training for two days (and affected other squad members) also receding, Johnson will not allow weather-related hassles to intrude on the weekend’s objective as his players had to train on an artificial surface.
Whatever the conditions at the Stadio Flaminio, it seems England are anticipating a war of attrition.
The worst-case scenario would be an early injury to a utility back such as Mathew Tait but Johnson, who will consider deploying the London Irish flanker Steffon Armitage in the backline if necessary, is banking on his additional props sapping Italian resolve.
“It could prove to be a great call or it might not be but, with the way we want to play, the frontrow are going to have to work very hard. The grunt work is going to be important. A big part of the game is getting fatigue into the opposition and we expect our front five to outwork Italy.”
Italy coach Nick Mallett has restored Marco Bortolami to the secondrow in the absence of Carlo Del Fava. The only other change to the side who lost 29-11 to Ireland is on the right wing where Andrea Masi replaces Kaine Robertson.
GuardianService
ITALY REPLACEMENTS: Fabio Ongaro (Saracens), Matias Aguero (Saracens), Valerio Bernabo (Roma), Paul Derbyshire (Petrarca), Pablo Canavosio (Viadana), Riccardo Bocchino (Rovigo), Kaine Robertson (Viadana).
ENGLAND REPLACEMENTS: Steve Thompson (Brive), David Wilson (Bath), Matt Mullan (Worcester), Louis Deacon (Leicester), Steffon Armitage, (London Irish), Paul Hodgson (London Irish), Toby Flood (Leicester).
Referee: Christophe Berdos (France). Assistant referees: Romain Poite and Pascal Gauzere (both France).
