ROME (AP) — Italy beat England for the first time in a rugby international on Saturday.
Italy triumphed 23-18 at the Stadio Olimpico, finally knocking off the only team it hadn’t beaten since it joined the Six Nations in 2000.
In a scrappy match, the home side claimed the lead for the third and final time with eight minutes to go after a Leonardo Marin try converted by Paolo Garbisi, who was a perfect five-of-five off the kicking tee.
Italy erupted in joy at fulltime, and a little relief. Having beaten Scotland at home in round one, Italy believed it had its best ever chance to topple a deflated England.
“We felt tension before the game,” Italy captain Michele Lamaro said. “We felt this game was close. We were nervous. Our confidence built during the game. We stuck together as a wall in defense.”
Defeat was England's third in a row following a 12-match winning streak, and it could get worse. England faces title-chasing France in Paris in the final round next Saturday with the possibility of suffering four defeats in the same championship for the first time in 50 years.
There's even a very slim chance England could end up with the wooden spoon if a heavy defeat to France follows a big win by Wales over Italy. As it stands, Italy has overtaken England in the table to fourth place.
Asked why things have gone so wrong for England, captain Maro Itoje said, "We have to figure it out. If we knew we wouldn't be in this position. We have to stick together. Teams go through tough periods and we are going through a tough period now.
“We have to own the result and it is a results business. As captain, I take responsibility for that.”
Two yellow cards
England’s win-loss record against Italy was 32-0 since the 1991 Rugby World Cup in tests capped by both sides, and 26-0 in the Six Nations. England averaged 36.2 points at Stadio Olimpico.
But England contributed to its historic defeat when it received two late yellow cards while in the lead.
At 18-10, flanker Sam Underhill was sin-binned for head contact on Italy prop Danilo Fischetti. Garbisi slotted that penalty kick and another soon after off the post to cut the gap to two.
Itoje was sin-binned in the 64th for illegally slapping the ball in a maul and 13 men were playing Italy's 15.
England held out and got Underhill back. Then Italy produced the try of the match.
Garbisi kick-passed to left winger Monty Ioane near halfway. Ioane charged and offloaded to Tommaso Menoncello, who bumped off Elliot Daly and passed inside to midfield partner Marin to finish off.
Until then, England looked like hanging on after coach Steve Borthwick named a new backline amid 12 team changes, three of them positional, in the most changes by England in the Six Nations era.
England dominated the first quarter but without any punch until center Tommy Freeman scored from an Alex Coles miss-out pass.
Menoncello replied with a break and 40-meter solo try for 10-5 but England reclaimed the lead right on halftime. A counterattack was capped by Fin Smith's kick-pass to scorer Tom Roebuck that Smith converted for 12-10.
Smith added two more penalties after halftime for 18-10 with Italy down a man after hooker Giacomo Nicotera was yellow-carded for a cynical ruck foul.
But instead of taking advantage, England's discipline imploded.
“We are gutted,” Borthwick said. “For 60 minutes, we are in control and those two sin-bins hurt us. Discipline is a significant factor, it is something we have to improve.”
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AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby
CJ McCollum
