England’s Six Nations trophy catching fire is a sobering analogy for where they find themselves in this year’s tournament.
The title aspirations of one of the pre-tournament favourites had gone up in flames well before the end of February.
Mauled at Murrayfield. Terrorised at Twickenham. Can pride be salvaged by beating Italy in round four in Rome?
England’s Dire Away Form
Emerging victorious from the Eternal City, though, is no longer a straightforward task – particularly for visitors who have a dire away record in the Six Nations in recent seasons.
England remain unbeaten in the Italian capital but arrive on the back of two chastening defeats.
England’s attack failed to click against Scotland as they fell to another Murrayfield defeat in round two.
England’s current run of four defeats in five away games is their joint-highest tally of losses over a five-match period in the entirety of the Six Nations era.
In the five championships since last winning the title in 2020, England have won just four of their 13 fixtures on the road, losing all eight combined in Edinburgh, Dublin and France.
Over the same period, France and Ireland have won 11 away games. Scotland have won six.
Italy’s Rising Threat
England do have a 100% record in Rome – but the Azzurri are no longer the accommodating hosts of old.
Stamina, style, scrum power. World-class players like Tommaso Menoncello in wonderful form. Defensive resilience and aerial threat.
Italy have already beaten Scotland at home in this tournament and will be targeting a first ever win against an England side whose vulnerabilities have been exposed in the past few weeks.
England are the only team in the Six Nations who have never lost against Italy, but former England winger Ugo Monye believes that record will be tested on Saturday afternoon.
“I am not sure if I’ve ever considered a Test against Italy as a pivotal match for England, but it is this year,” he said. “Italy are a proper, proper outfit.”
Borthwick Shakes Up the Team
England boss Steve Borthwick has made his feelings on the error-strewn performances of rounds two and three clear by making nine changes, along with three positional switches – the most by an England team in the Six Nations era.
The move is not without risk as untested combinations take to the field in a must-win match.
Were England to be beaten for the first time on Italian soil, they would travel to Paris on the final weekend facing the possibility of four defeats in the same championship for only the third time since it expanded to five teams 116 years ago, and the first since 1976.
England conceded a record points tally to Ireland during their defeat at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham in round three.
England entered round two on a run of 12 successive wins.