Stephen Ferris: Borthwick boys look too hot for Italy
Published:
Ladbrokes ambassador Stephen Ferris picks out his tops tips for Sundayโs Six Nations match between England and Italy at Twickenham.
England v Italy (Sunday, 15.00, ITV)
The Steve Borthwick era kicked off with a home loss in front of a packed Twickenham. There were no boos this time round which is probably the only positive England can take away from yet another defeat to Scotland.
As the old saying goes, pick yourself up, dust yourself down and get on with it which is exactly what England must do this weekend. The same goes for Italy who lost a pulsating game against France last week. Two heavily wounded teams will lock horns, so who will come out on top?
Throwback to when @ChrisAshton1 scored ๐ ๐๐๐ tries in a 59-13 win over Italy in 2011 ๐#ENGvITA
โ England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) February 9, 2023
There is a 20-point margin for this game, and going by the last 10 meetings between these teams, England should win at a canter. The Azzurri went close against the defending champions, so have Italy turned a corner or will they buckle at the knees like they usually do when they travel to the English capital? Iโm still not quite sure.
England have never lost a Six Nations game to Italy. They are the only team that Italy has yet to beat, and I donโt think the history books are going to be rewritten on Sunday afternoon. Good teams learn from their mistakes and their losses. I feel Italy will still be on an emotional rollercoaster from their narrow miss, and that England will be able to put their defeat behind them quicker under their new management.
Two teams struggling for form could make for some compelling viewing, and with a sprinkling of stardust throughout both sides with the likes of Capuozzo, Lamaro and Genge, we could get a proper test match.
Predictions:
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
ย
