POST MATCH REACTION | Italy v England | Italy secure first-ever victory over England

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In a result that will send shockwaves through the rugby world, Italy have claimed their first-ever victory over England, sealing a dramatic 23–18 win at the Stadio Olimpico.
For England, the defeat marks a third consecutive loss in the 2026 Championship, leaving Steve Borthwick’s side searching for answers as they face the daunting prospect of a final-round trip to Paris.

An even contest in the first half
The atmosphere in Rome was electric, with a heavily pro-England crowd turning the Stadio Olimpico into a sea of white. However, the game began as a scrappy, stop-start affair, marred by early injuries to key personnel, including an England side forced into a late reshuffle after Tom Curry was injured in the warm-up to be replaced by Sam Underhill.

England enjoyed early dominance at the scrum, but their attacking intent was hindered by handling errors and a stubborn Italian defence. Fly-half Paolo Garbisi opened the scoring with a penalty in the 21st minute after an English backline infringement. England eventually found their rhythm in the 25th minute, with a slick move culminating in wing Tommy Freeman crossing for the opening try.

Italy responded with flair in the 34th minute, as superlative centre Tommaso Menoncello sliced through the English defence to score under the posts, giving the hosts a 10–5 lead. Just as England looked set to head into the break trailing, a moment of magic from Fin Smith—who spotted Tom Roebuck unmarked on the right wing with a cross-field kick—allowed the winger to score on the stroke of half-time, giving England a slim 12–10 lead.

The second-half momentum shift
England stretched their lead to five points with a Fin Smith penalty shortly after the restart. However, the match began to pivot on discipline. Italy’s hooker Giacomo Nicotera was sent to the sin-bin for breakdown offences, but England’s advantage was short-lived. Underhill was soon issued a yellow card following a bunker review for a high tackle, which allowed Garbisi to narrow the deficit with consecutive penalties.

The final quarter saw Italy exert immense pressure. With eight minutes remaining, the Stadio Olimpico erupted: a brilliant cross-field kick found Monty Ioane, who offloaded to Menoncello, who surged through a tackle from Elliot Daly and found Leonardo Marin, who scored the decisive try.

England’s frustration boiled over, and captain Maro Itoje was sin-binned for a cynical slap-down in the closing stages. Despite a late push, England could not overcome their 13-man deficit, and Italy held firm to secure a famous 23–18 victory.

All eyes on Super Saturday
For Italy, it was a night of pure euphoria: the culmination of years of hard work and the final breaking of a long-standing hoodoo. For England, the defeat leaves the squad in disarray. Struggling in attack and undisciplined in defence, Steve Borthwick’s side now faces a critical rebuild before they head to Paris, with the risk of finishing the campaign with four losses from five matches now a sobering reality.

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