Italy player ratings v England: Azzurri’s attacking ‘maestro’ shows his class in historic triumph
Italy inside centre Tommaso Menoncello and number eight Lorenzo Cannone (inset).
After their historic 23-18 Six Nations victory over England at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, here’s how the Italy team performed on Saturday.
15 Lorenzo Pani: He looked dangerous whenever he joined the Azzurri line from the back and was generally safe under the high ball. Had a shaky moment soon after the restart when he failed to gather the ball deep inside his half, but he scrambled to get back and his error was not too costly. 7
14 Louis Lynagh: Was in the thick of the action from the outset as he tested the visitors’ defence with ball in hand and also competed brilliantly in the air. 7
13 Juan Ignacio Brex: The 33-year-old returned to action after missing Italy‘s two previous matches due to injury and gave a good account of himself as he combined well with his long-time midfield partner Tommaso Menoncello. Brex impressed with his defensive reads and was eventually replaced by Leonardo Marin in the 51st minute. 7
12 Tommaso Menoncello: Sliced England’s defence open with a brilliant linebreak en route to a well-taken try and continued to shine on attack as the match progressed. Menoncello was a maestro on attack as he finished with a team-high 89 metres gained which included three clean breaks and five defenders beaten while he also impressed on defence with seven tackles made. 9
11 Monty Ioane: The Lyon flyer had some good attacking moments – especially in the opening half – as he tested the Red Rose defence with some powerful runs for the full 80 minutes. Finished with 54 metres gained which saw him making two clean breaks and one defender beaten. 8
10 Paolo Garbisi: Italy’s star playmaker impressed with the way he controlled the tempo of the game and he also delivered a superb goal-kicking display as he finished with a 13-point haul courtesy of three penalties and a couple of conversions. 8
9 Alessandro Garbisi: The younger Garbisi provided a slick service to his brother and impressed with his box kicking before being replaced by Alessandro Fusco in the 51st minute. 7
History-making Italy inflict a shattering loss on England to leave Steve Borthwick’s job on the line
The forwards
8 Lorenzo Cannone: Continued with his excellent form as he shone with ball in hand, put his body on the line with some big hits on defence and did his bit in the lineouts. Cannone finished this match with an impressive 59 metres gained while he also emptied the tank in the execution of his defensive duties and eventually made 12 hits. 8
7 Manuel Zuliani: The 25-year-old took the fight to the English as he was competitive at the breakdown and was a willing ball carrier but he made his biggest impact on defence as he finished with a match-high 15 tackles. 7
6 Michele Lamaro (c): Italy’s skipper delivered a solid all-round performance as he put in a big effort in the breakdown battle, did well on defence and also impressed in the lineouts. Won a crucial turnover late in the second half and made nine hits. 7
5 Andrea Zambonin: As usual, the 25-year-old was a valuable source of possession in the lineouts and also did well on defence as he finished with seven tackles made before Federico Ruzza replaced him early in the second half. 6
4 Niccolò Cannone: The Benetton stalwart did what was expected of him in the lineouts but also caught the eye on defence, eventually making 12 tackles. 7
3 Simone Ferrari: The experienced front-row has been the cornerstone of the Azzurri’s excellent efforts in the scrum during this year’s Six Nations but did not always have things going his way at the set-piece in this match. Was penalised during the opening half for illegal scrummaging but put that behind him and was solid at the set-piece during the rest of the match before Mirco Spagnolo replaced him in the 51st minute. 6
2 Giacomo Nicotera: He did well in the execution of his core duties, especially on defence where he completed 14 tackles. Nicotera was yellow carded for a professional foul in the 52nd minute and did not return to action with Tommaso Di Bartolomeo coming on to replace him. 7
1 Danilo Fischetti: Like the more experienced Ferrari, the Northampton Saints star was also blown up for an indiscretion at scrum-time before he came back strongly in that department after that. Also shone on defence with 10 hits made before Muhamed Hasa replaced him after 51 minutes. 7
Replacements: Whether it was the forwards or the backs, Italy’s replacements can be proud of their efforts as they brought plenty of energy to the cause and head coach Gonzalo Quesada’s changes – particularly in the latter stages of the game – worked out perfectly. In the forwards, Spagnolo and Hasa were solid in the scrums while Ruzza impressed in the lineouts and on defence. Meanwhile, Marin and Fusco also had superb games, with the former rewarded with a well-taken try. 8
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