Italy Vs England — can England’s away-day blues finally cost them in Rome?
The italy vs england clash in round four in Rome has sharpened into a test match for a wounded England side: battered by defeats in rounds two and three, they travel to the Stadio Olimpico where Italy will press for a first-ever win over England and a rare home scalp after beating Scotland in this tournament.
England’s recent form shapes the fixture
England arrive in Rome on the back of chastening defeats, having been mauled at Murrayfield and suffering a heavy loss at Twickenham in recent rounds, and their attack failed to click against Scotland in round two. That sequence has left them with a run of four defeats in five away games — their joint-highest tally of losses over a five-match period in Six Nations history — and turned what was once a routine trip to Italy into a high-stakes match in round four.
Italy Vs England at the Stadio Olimpico
Italy will host England at the Stadio Olimpico after already beating Scotland at home in this tournament; their squad boasts world-class individuals and a growing set-piece and aerial threat, with Tommaso Menoncello singled out as being in wonderful form. England remain the only team never to have lost against Italy, but that record will be tested on Saturday afternoon in Rome.
Nine changes, three positional switches: Borthwick’s big gamble
England head coach Steve Borthwick has responded to the error-strewn displays of rounds two and three by naming nine personnel changes and three positional switches — the most by an England team in the Six Nations era — reshaping a backline where only Tommy Freeman survives from the defeat by Ireland. Fin Smith returns at fly-half for his first Test start since the autumn and Seb Atkinson joins Freeman in a new midfield partnership; the starting XV also lists Maro Itoje as captain and includes Ellis Genge, Jamie George and Alex Coles in the pack.
Those selection moves carry immediate consequences: with new combinations in the backline, England will need quick cohesion to secure set-piece ball and clean breaks, and the shake-up puts Borthwick’s judgement as a selector squarely on the line in this round four meeting with Italy.
Leadership and the message in the dressing room
Maro Itoje has reminded the squad of the standards expected when they take the field at the Stadio Olimpico, telling the group that they have a responsibility to deliver an aggressive, confrontational and accurate performance. "The very best of ourselves is aggressive, confrontational and accurate. We need to make sure we deliver on that, " Itoje said; his remarks aim to curb the self-destructive starts that undermined England in recent rounds.
That leadership links to roles on the pitch: with Itoje anchoring the pack, England will rely on physicality in tight exchanges to secure quick ball and give Fin Smith and the new midfield a platform to attack. If set-piece control slips, Italy’s aerial and defensive resilience — highlighted by their home win over Scotland — could turn pressure into scoring opportunities.
Former England winger Ugo Monye has said he believes the fixture matters more than usual this year: "I am not sure if I've ever considered a Test against Italy as a pivotal match for England, but it is this year, " he said, underlining the unusual weight of the Rome meeting in this championship.
England travel next to Paris for the tournament’s final weekend, and a defeat in Rome would leave them facing the prospect of a campaign with only a single win; for Italy, a victory would rewrite a 33-match history between the nations. The immediate next confirmed fixture on the calendar for England is that final-round trip to France.
