England Secure Crucial Bonus-Point Victory Over Italy in Six Nations

England kept their Six Nations title dreams alive with a dominant 47-24 bonus-point win over Italy, thanks in part to a standout performance from Marcus Smith.

England kept their slim Six Nations title aspirations alive with a convincing 47-24 bonus-point victory over Italy at Twickenham on Sunday. The win, which featured seven English tries, sets the stage for a crucial final round of matches, with England traveling to Cardiff to face Wales on March 15.

A bonus-point triumph was essential for England to remain in title contention, particularly after France's 42-27 win over reigning champions Ireland in Dublin on Saturday. The result knocked Ireland off the top of the table, and England's victory propelled them into second place, temporarily, ahead of their showdown with Wales next weekend.

England's Six Nations title hopes have been reignited, but they still require Scotland to do them a favor by beating France in Paris. England now have an outside chance of claiming the championship for the first time since 2020.

A bonus point victory over Italy! 🔥#ENGvITA | #GuinnessM6N pic.twitter.com/Cg2pHccIky

— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) March 9, 2025

England dominated the first half, outscoring Italy three tries to two, but only held a narrow 21-17 lead at the break. Tom Willis, Tommy Freeman, and Ollie Sleightholme all crossed the Italian line, setting the stage for a thrilling second half.

In the second half, England exploited Italy's vulnerable defense, which had conceded a record 11 tries in their previous match against France. England ran in four more tries, with Marcus Smith securing the crucial four-try bonus point. Tom Curry, Ollie Sleightholme, and Ben Earl also crossed the line, with Earl's try coming in the final act of the game.

Fin Smith had a near-perfect day with the boot, converting six out of seven attempts. His only miss came after Ben Earl's try, which was scored when the game was already beyond doubt.

Italy's defeat marked their 32nd consecutive loss to England, a dismal record that continues to haunt the Azzurri. The Red Rose brigade has proven to be a formidable opponent, and Italy will need to regroup and reassess their strategy to break this curse.

Marcus Smith's role in the team has been a subject of interest, having started the tournament as England's fly-half before being moved to full-back by coach Steve Borthwick. Fin Smith took over at No. 10, but against Italy, Marcus Smith began on the bench. However, he was called into action early, replacing injured center Ollie Lawrence in the ninth minute.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS 🌹

All the scores & key moments from a seven-try victory over Italy 👇#ENGvITA | #GuinnessM6N

— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) March 9, 2025

England opened the scoring just three minutes into the game, with No. 8 Tom Willis stretching over the line following a break by Tommy Freeman. However, Italy responded quickly, with Paolo Garbisi chipping the ball over England defenders for Juan Ignacio Brex to collect.

Italy's Monty Ioane produced another impressive chip over the cover, which full-back Ange Capuozzo regathered cleanly on the bounce for a 13th-minute try. Garbisi's conversion tied the game at 7-7. However, Garbisi missed a simple penalty soon after, allowing England to regain momentum.

A superbly weighted grubber kick from Elliot Daly enabled the sprinting Freeman to score a try. However, Italy hit back just four minutes later, with Capuozzo gliding through the England defense before finding Ross Vintcent, who outsprinted the cover for a converted try.

England secured their third try after scrum-half Alex Mitchell's quick tap penalty, with Marcus Smith's long cut-out pass sending wing Ollie Sleightholme in at the corner. Fin Smith maintained his 100% record from the kicking tee, and England led 21-14.

Italy narrowed the deficit to four points at halftime, thanks to a successful Garbisi penalty.

The second half was barely underway when Tom Curry found Marcus Smith, who showcased his exceptional skills by stepping past defenders and surging forward. This impressive play set the tone for England's dominant second-half display.

England's Curry turned from provider to scorer in the 49th minute, as the Sale flanker powered over the line to secure England's fifth try. This score further extended England's lead and left Italy struggling to keep pace.

Just three minutes later, England's lead ballooned to 42-17 when hooker Jamie George, who was celebrating his 100th England cap, found Ollie Sleightholme with a pinpoint pass. Sleightholme then demonstrated his agility by spinning out of a tackle and scoring his second try of the match.

Italy managed to reduce the deficit slightly when Tommaso Menoncello scored a try with 10 minutes remaining. However, this score was little consolation for the Azzurri, who will now face a daunting task in their final Six Nations match against an Ireland side eager to bounce back from their defeat to France.