Italy 0-74 England: Women’s Six Nations – as it happened! | Sport

England started as they meant to go on to secure another thumping Six Nations victory. They have now won their past 20 matches.

Scarratt flicks the ball out to Thompson and she gleefully runs down the wing for England’s 12th try and for her hat-trick. Rowland misses the kick.

78 min: England knock-on at the breakdown, which means another scrum. Italy get the ball out but after a few passes there is an inevitable mistake to sum up their day.

England make the most of the one-woman advantage as they move the ball to the left wing for McKenna to drop over the line. Rowland converts superbly from the left touchline.

74 min: A delay for treatment for an Italian after they give away another penalty. This is what happens when one team is so much better than the other. Fair play to the Italians for their commitment throughout but it hasn’t been a contest since the opening minute.

72 min: Rigoni gets the Yellow Card. It’s an accumulative measure thanks to the ludicrous amount of penalties Italy have given away today. A player down will make this final eight minutes even less competitive.

71 min: England get another penalty at the scrum. Rowland kicks for touch. I think this has happened a good 38383 times now.

A lovely kick through from Harrison is chased and grabbed by Scarratt who puts it down. They have a TMO check but Davidson gives the try the nod. The conversion is pinged over.

Rowland slings a pass to the right where Sing takes it on the bounce and runs it in. Rowland sends the kick through the posts.

63 min: The scrummage in this game has been underwhelming. The referee has spent a long time trying to make them legal without limited success.

61 min: Matthews drags along three Italians as she looks to make ground. She gets the ball out but there is a knock on soon after.

57 min: Bern reads the lineout and picks up the loose ball. England spread the play to the left wing with McKenna, before working it back inside. England are penalized for holding on, much to Italy’s relief.

55 min: Rowland sends a poor kick straight out of play and referee Davidson brings it back. The Italy lineout finds a blue shirt for once and are few passes go left but then Aitchison intercepts to start a counter.

Hunt collects an overthrown Italian lineout and makes a dart for space before overloading to Bern who has been on the pitch a minute, she puts on the afterburners and crosses the line. Rowland nails the kick.

After battering the Italian line, Fleetwood is one that goes over. Rowland takes the kick and misses.

47 min: England start a driving maul after a lineout. Eventually the ball is moved out to the right and back to the center where Italy give away another penalty – I have lost count of how many they have been called for. Cleall is on the floor in pain…

45 mins: David Jameson emails: “I see the “they’ve been professional a lot longer than us” excuse trotted out to help explain the England loss to Australia in the women’s World Cricket Championship final.

“You’ve been very careful to stress the vast gulf between England and Italy in this rugby game but listening to the coverage on BBC2 I find no sense of irony from the commentators as they glorify in the one sided slaughter.”

Two teams with very different resources and Italy do not have the same opportunities to play games both domestically and on the international circuit. The result was known before we started on this one.

It’s been all England since the restart. McKenna delays a pass before sending the ball out to Thompson on the wing, she moves through the gears to go round a blue shirt and touches down. Rowland takes over kicking duties… and misses.

England are utterly dominant against an Italy team who have helped by making many mistakes. It is incredibly one-sided.

38 min: I have no idea what Italy’s kicking game is about: it is at best random and at worst incompetent.

Italy give away another penalty, Harrison kicks it into the corner for a lineout. A long throw is taken and the ball moves quickly from left to right as Italy are dragged around. The ball ends up in the middle and Matthews piles over for the fifth try. Another simple kick for Harrison but she does convert on this occasion.

32 min: England take a quick lineout and get the ball moving along the line until Harrison pings a crossfield kick to turn the defence. Italy do well to collect and get themselves out of trouble.

England win a lineout in the corner and Matthews drives for the line. It doesn’t take long for England to cross as Brown piles over the top to ground for the bonus point. Harrison finds her kicking boots to get the conversion.

26 min: A looping kick is completely missed by Muzzo to add to the error count for Italy. They make up for it with some fine defense to hold up Cornborough who fails to release the ball.

24 min: Italy keep making silly mistakes to give away penalties to gift England as much ball as they would like.

Italy have no answer in the scrum today. England get another penalty as the latest collapses, and kick it into touch for a lineout in the corner. The ball is caught, a maul ensues and the ball is grounded by Davies. Harrison inexplicably misses a very easy kick.

20 min: England have a lineout but the throw isn’t straight, giving a scrum to Italy. The referee is on top of all the indiscretions today.

18 min: England have a scrum around the halfway mark. It is the first scrum that concludes with the referee blowing up, so that is a positive step. England pass it quickly from side to side to move the defense around.

England charge down a kick and get on top of the loose ball; a few swift passes take it to Thompson on the right who dives over. Harrison drags her kick wide.

14 min: Kildunne looks set for the line but a last-ditch tackle stops her and to add insult to injury she is penalized for holding on too long.

12 min: Early engagement in the scrum from England gives a free-kick to Italy.

England get the ball back and once again are popping passes along the line as they look to open Italy up but they are giving as good as they get with big hits.

10 min: Another underwhelming lineout throw is stolen by England and they move it quickly across the pitch until Cleall takes a big hit in the middle of the park. The attack continues and the ball is goes from hand to hand until McKenna loses it.

8 min: Italy get a lineout in the corner but the throw is a poor one and England recover the loose ball.

6 min: The early signs suggest that this will be a nice day out in the Parma sun today for England.

England earn a penalty after a scrum collapse as Italy fail to cope with the push from the visitors. Then there is another penalty to England which is sent for a lineout in the corner. The ball is claimed by Galligan to begin a maul; the ball is soon thrown out to McKenna in space on the wing who wanders over the line for the opening try. Harrison nails the conversion from out wide.

2 min: Some early big hits and a sign of England’s eagerness to get hands on the ball.

Doris Day’s Move Over Darling has been biffed for this match. A tough blow for Day. Will she recover from this? Who’s to say?

Always fancied going to Parma and the surrounding area. It looks lovely with some cracking food.

I’ve made a peppermint tea, so I am ruddy well hydrated for this.

Italy: V Ostuni Minuzzi; A Muzzo, M Sillari, B Rigoni, M Magatti; V Madia, S Stefan; G Maris, M Bettoni, L Gai, S Tounesi, G Duca, F Sberna, I Locatelli, E Giordano (captain). Replacements: V Vecchini, F Barro, S Seye, V Fedrighi, B Veronese, S Barattin, A D’Inca, M Furlan.

England: E Kuldunne; L Thompson, H Aitchison, H Rowland, S McKenna; Z Harrison, N Hunt; V Cornborough, L Davies, S Brown, R Galligan, A Ward, A Matthews, S Kabeya, P Cleall (ch) Replacements: C Powell, M Muir, S Bern, S Hunter, V Fleetwood, L Packer, E Scarratt, E Sing.

It is not a case of who will win, but more of a case of how many points England will defeat Italy by. England thrashed Scotland 57-5, while Italy lost in France 39-6 in their opening fixtures in this year’s tournament, a sign of things to come.

England are favorites for the tournament, aided by their professional status, and have won 19 matches in a row. Their confidence is shown by the fact Simon Middleton has made 11 changes from their victory in Edinburgh.

When the two sides met last year, England won 67-3 and many will be expecting a similar route today in Parma but you never know… except you do and England will win this easily.

Kick-off: 3pm BST