From the opening try in the first few minutes, England put on a much brighter performance against the hard men of Italy than they did against Wales last week. They were much quicker and played with greater energy and enthusiasm than in their first match.
Toby Flood's use of the ball and kicking was again a high-spot. The running and handling of the backs was the best it's been for some time and was well rewarded with 7 of the 8 tries scored; Chris Ashton's 4 try haul won't go unnoticed in the southern hemisphere. England's defence gave the Italians little opportunity, but did concede several penalties that provided scoring opportunities, though the visitors were unable to take much advantage. The line-out was superb and the forwards more than beat the Italians in the scrum, maul and ruck, except for the Italians tremendous driving-maul try.
Overall, this was a first rate performance from England though, admittedly, against the weakest side in the Six Nations. They dominated from the outset and never really looked back, the final scoreline of 59-13 being a true reflection of the play. That said, they became a little ragged in the last quarter, and conceded a try that they should not have, which they will need to guard against in the future. England v France on 26th February could be a real cracker.
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