Historic Rome Triumph: Italy Stun 13-Man England in Landmark 23-18 Win

Italy plunged English rugby into a state of absolute crisis at the Stadio Olimpico, securing a historic 23-18 victory to record their first-ever win over England in 33 attempts.

On a night of “disco lights and celebrations” in Rome, Steve Borthwick’s side collapsed under the weight of indiscipline, as second-half yellow cards for Sam Underhill and captain Maro Itoje paved the way for a landmark Italian triumph.

Early Promise Fades into Familiar Frustration

England arrived in Rome desperate to snap a two-match losing streak, but their afternoon was hampered before kick-off when an injury to Tom Curry forced a late back-row reshuffle. Despite a “new-look” lineup, the same old problems persisted.

Ponderous forward rumbles and a string of handling errors from Joe Heyes and Alex Coles saw England struggle for penetration against an eager Italian defense.

Italy struck first through the boot of Paolo Garbisi, but England seemed to find their rhythm when Tommy Freeman crossed for his ninth Test try. However, the momentum shifted five minutes before the break when Tommaso Menoncello carved through the English fringes to score, putting the Azzurri 10-5 up. A late Tom Roebuck scamper on the stroke of half-time allowed England to retreat to the tunnel with a slender 12-10 lead.

Discipline Meltdown Costs England Dear

After the restart, two Fin Smith penalties appeared to insulate England against a shock as they moved into an 18-10 lead. But with 25 minutes remaining, the wheels fell off.

First, Sam Underhill was sent to the sin-bin for a high hit, followed quickly by Itoje, who was binned for “mindlessly” slapping the ball from the scrum-half’s hands.

Reduced to 13 men, England’s lead evaporated. Garbisi’s boot narrowed the gap before the decisive blow arrived eight minutes from time. In a thrilling sequence of “all-court brilliance,” Monty Ioane and Menoncello combined to set up Leonardo Marin, who dived under the posts to send the Roman crowd into raptures.

A Dark Day for Borthwick’s Empire

As the final whistle blew, England’s players stood “dazed and stunned” amidst the Italian celebrations. The defeat marks England’s third successive loss in the 2026 championship, raising “awkward and far-reaching questions” about Borthwick’s strategy 18 months out from the World Cup.

While Italy celebrates a historic milestone, England heads to Paris next weekend as minor characters in the title race, desperately fighting to avoid their first-ever single-win campaign in Six Nations history.

Line-ups

ITALY

15-Pani; 14-Lynagh, 13-Brex, 12-Menoncello, 11-Ioane; 10-P. Garbisi, 9-A. Garbisi; 1-Fischetti, 2-Nicotera, 3-Ferrari; 4-N. Cannone, 5-Zambonin; 6-Lamaro (capt), 7-Zuliani, 8-L. Cannone.

Replacements: Ruzza, Marin, Fusco, Hasa, Spagnolo, Di Bartolomeo, Allan, Favretto.

Sin-bin: Nicotera (53′)

ENGLAND

15-Daly; 14-Roebuck, 13-Freeman, 12-S. Atkinson, 11-Murley; 10-F. Smith, 9-Spencer; 1-Genge, 2-George, 3-Heyes; 4-Itoje (capt), 5-Coles; 6-Pepper, 7-Underhill, 8-Earl.

Replacements: M. Smith, Van Poortvliet, Rodd, Chessum, Davison, Pollock, Cowan-Dickie, Cunningham-South.

Sin-bin: Underhill (57′), Itoje (64′)