Analysis: Dreadful England given a scare in Rome

Jonny Wilkinson reached 1,000 points in international rugby in this match and yet only those who prattle on about meaningless statistics would give it a second thought. He did deflect a small amount of the criticism deflected at him with a chip-and-chase into open territory in the first half, and then created the first England try with a clever pass to Paul Sackey, who was making a brilliant supporting run. Wilkinson then retreated into the mess which had enveloped the rest of his team.

The most frightening aspect was the disjointed play of the England forwards. England were criticised for being one dimensional at the World Cup but it seems now that even that dimension has disappeared. They simply do not know whether they are supposed to be driving at the heart of the opposition to clean them out or whether they are supposed to be playing some kind of hybrid game. What happened in Rome was that they made sporadic attempts to drive, switched to a rather flimsy attacking game and then back again. And naturally, all this is with reference to England in the first half, because in the second half, they played absolutely no type of game at all.

It was lucky for them that Steve Borthwick, made captain on the morning of the match after Phil Vickery withdrew with a stomach upset, was so good at disrupting the Italian line-out. His long, almost telescopic arm, saved England from utter humiliation.

Frankly, it is difficult to work out where England go from here. Players like Iain Balshaw, Toby Flood and Lesley Vainikolo are simply not of true international class and James Haskell and Tim Payne apart, the forwards were only of club standard as well. We expected Nick Easter and others to take the ball and steam through the Italian ranks but all we saw was a gentle plod. Sergio Parisse, Italy’s brilliant captain, was light years ahead when it came to passion and the ability to carry the ball with real power.

England play France in Paris in two weeks and I am afraid that only a total reversion can save them. Ireland showed in Paris yesterday that France, for all their new talents, can be fingered well and truly up front. England must pick their biggest and nastiest pack, they must take on France in the trenches and they must end for now all the babbling about expanding their game. At present, they have neither the quality of possession or the quality of backs to expand it more than about two inches wide of the forwards.

England never looked liked scoring more tries and their second came out of the blue when David Bortolussi took an age and a half to deliver a clearing kick when under no pressure and England eventually worked Flood over. After that, they were dominated for territory and possession, as they came menacingly to within four points when Simon Pichone charged down Danny Cipriani and scored at the posts. Italy won a prime attacking position in the closing stages but yet another line-out disaster allowed England to clear and hold out.

Italy will be anxious to bring Marco Bortolami back into the team after injury and they must, here and now, end the doomed experiment of playing Andrea Masi at fly-half. Marcato, who arrived late as replacement, delivered a couple of nice kicks and behind a pack such at Italy’s and with strong running centres, Italy are better off fielding an inexperienced fly-half who can hoof the ball.

England will be desperate for their injured players to return as well because they are desperately short of class. Yet it is not so much the personnel, as the wicked lack of focus, coherence and purpose which is dragging them down.

In Rome today, the longer the game wore on, the more damage England did to the aura and ethos of their national rugby jersey.