"From October 1991 until kick-off this afternoon, matches between England and Italy have been a forgone conclusion. The two nations have met 32 times and England have triumphed on every occasion. The average score is around 40 points to 13. There have been drubbings of 67-7 in 1999, 80-23 in 2001 and 57-14 in 2019."
"England are on the ropes after heavy losses to Scotland and Ireland. Steve Borthwick has made sweeping changes to his team, more than any other England coach in Six Nations history. His players have looked disjointed, out of sorts and short of confidence. Italy meanwhile have continued to impress."
Italy has selected Juan Ignacio Brex to return to midfield alongside Tommaso Menoncello, with Alessandro Garbski starting at scrum-half partnering his brother Paolo in the half-backs. Lorenzo Pani returns to fullback with Ange Cappuozzo unavailable. Italy's forward pack remains unchanged for the fourth consecutive match. England faces Italy after suffering heavy defeats to Scotland and Ireland, prompting coach Steve Borthwick to make unprecedented changes. England's historical dominance over Italy spans 32 matches with consistent large margins of victory, though recent encounters have been closer. Italy has impressed throughout the Six Nations, defeating Scotland and challenging France, suggesting this match could deviate from historical patterns.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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