England vs Italy.

Losty Dublin

Kick off at 3PM. Live on RTE 2 and ITV.

England: M Brown (Harlequins); J May (Gloucester), B Te'o (Worcester), O Farrell (Saracens), E Daly (Wasps); G Ford (Bath), D Care (Harlequins); J Marler (Harlequins), D Hartley (Northampton), D Cole (Leicester), J Launchbury (Wasps), C Lawes (Northampton), M Itoje (Saracens), J Haskell (Wasps), N Hughes (Wasps).

Replacements: J George (Saracens), M Vunipola (Saracens), K Sinckler (Harlequins), T Wood (Northampton), J Clifford (Harlequins), B Youngs (Leicester), H Slade (Exeter), J Nowell (Exeter).

Italy: Edoardo Padovani, Giulio Bisegni (both Zebre), Michele Campagnaro (Exeter), Luke McLean (Treviso), Giovanbattista Venditti (Zebre), Tommaso Allan, Edoardo Gori (both Treviso), Andrea Lovotti (Zebre),Ornel Gaga (Treviso), Lorenzo Cittadini (Bayonne), Marco Fuser (Treviso), Dries Van Schalkwyk (Zebre), Braam Steyn (Treviso), Simone Favaro (Glasgow), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais, capt)

Replacements: Tommaso D'Apice (Zebre), Michele Rizzo (Leicester), Pietro Ceccarelli, George Biagi, Maxime Mbanda (all Zebre), Giorgio Bronzini (Treviso), Carlo Canna (Zebre), Tommaso Benvenuti (Treviso)

Ghiraldini is a late withdrawal for the visitors, as if they needed any more bad luck. Eddie Jones said last night that he wants to take Italy to the cleaners; the question is will it be with Persil, Flash or Parazone? We could see a record score today, as much as a 60 point gap is possible.

thomond2006

I've never seen 6N handicaps as one sided as this match. Cloudy forecast with no rain, I expect a massacre. If the Italians aren't interested then Te'o will punish them up the middle and the wingers will have a field day.

BBDBB

I think Italy could surprise England, I still think they will get beat but it won't be the walk over people are saying

thomond2006

BBDBB wrote: »

I think Italy could surprise England, I still think they will get beat but it won't be the walk over people are saying

The way they phoned it in at home would worry me greatly.

razorblunt

I thought you run out on your own for 100 caps and lead the team at 50?
Farrell just ran out there on his tod.

moleyv

53-10 to Eng

vienne86

Ah that anthem!

BBDBB

I'm surprised itv didn't manage to squeeze an advert in between the anthems

BBDBB

thomond2006 wrote: »

The way they phoned it in at home would worry me greatly.

Judging by the anthem they seem revved up enough

PTH2009

Why is Eddie Jones singing GSTQ ??

irishbucsfan

razorblunt wrote: »

I thought you run out on your own for 100 caps and lead the team at 50?
Farrell just ran out there on his tod.

I believe you run out on your own for 50. For 100 you sing the anthem on your own. For 125 you ride out on a horse and you get to slap the opposition captain with a dead fish and at 150 you get to moon the opponent's representatives during the handshakes.

vienne86

PTH2009 wrote: »

Why is Eddie Jones singing GSTQ ??

Why shouldn't he?

PhilipsR

Are the RTE commentators phoning in from the game? Awful sound.

Kevski

RTE commentary sounds like it's coming through Skype

Fair fcuks to Italy for holding out this long. Still 0-0.

razorblunt

PTH2009 wrote: »

Why is Eddie Jones singing GSTQ ??

Did you also ask why COS was singing with the Italians?

vienne86

PTH2009 wrote: »

Why is Eddie Jones singing GSTQ ??

Joe sings our anthems.

vienne86

Pity Allen missed that kick, but lively start for Italy.

Kevski

razorblunt wrote: »

Did you also ask why COS was singing with the Italians?

In fairness, Conor O'Shea looked like he was just making random movements with his mouth :pac:

coco0981

PTH2009 wrote: »

Why is Eddie Jones singing GSTQ ??

GSTQ is the royal anthem for Australia, and was their national anthem until relatively recently

coco0981

Italians are up for this

BBDBB

Nice scrum

vienne86

Great Italian scrum!

BBDBB

Twickenham seems quiet

thomond2006

No England score in the first 10 minutes?

thomond2006

thomond2006 wrote: »

No England score in the first 10 minutes?

laugh

The ruck approach is interesting.

vienne86

It's actually a fairly shocking start from England.

razorblunt

Clever stuff by the Italians, English are a little rattled.

Teo'o a bit lucky with a flying tackle too.

BBDBB

Cute play not to compete at the ruck

S.M.B.

BBDBB wrote: »

Twickenham seems quiet

And unsure of the rules...

mfceiling

moleyv wrote: »

53-10 to Eng

Already?

BBDBB

S.M.B. wrote: »

And unsure of the rules...

Ssshhh, you could wake them

S.M.B.

Very sloppy by the English. Italians should be taking advantage of this phase.

Stheno

This is all a bit bizarre

laugh

laugh wrote: »

The ruck approach is interesting.

Until England start to pick and go.

This is a seriously random game.

coco0981

BBDBB wrote: »

Cute play not to compete at the ruck

Its fine until england start to barrel up the middle of the rucks and Italians are men down in defense then

SlickRic

This won't last, but O'Shea is playing a blinder so far.

razorblunt

Shocked that England have a player like Daly and stick him on the wing.

BBDBB

coco0981 wrote: »

Its fine until england start to barrel up the middle of the rucks and Italians are men down in defense then

They have to work out what's happening first

Kevski

Italy need to start putting a few points on the board

razorblunt

Bloody hell Tommy Allen having a disaster.

Larbre34

Flip, England look a bit shook. Just shows how a bit of fear is so valuable.

Keep it up Italy, all we need is for ye to keep the points difference way down for us.

Although the kicking....merciful cripes.

vienne86

Dominance by Italy but not points to show for it - that's a killer.

Peregrine

Is it still nil all? And time?

elefant

Fair play Italy. Great to see after Jones' talk of taking them to the cleaners that they're doing so well thus far. England need to start showing them some more respect.

Clegg

Dan Cole has been awful. Not locking out the scrum and has given away some silly penalties.

Stheno

Peregrine wrote: »

Is it still nil all? And time?

0-0 20 mins gone

Kevski

Peregrine wrote: »

Is it still nil all? And time?

0-0 20 mins

Call me Al

It's hard to watch. Two missed penalties and all this possession and nothing to show for it. Almost 20 minutes and both sides are very underwhelming.

thomond2006

0-0 after 20 minutes?!