Again we dare to wonder if this is Italy’s time – because England’s confidence looks shot

Italy’s powerful centre Tommaso Menoncello won the Six Nations player of the championship award in 2024, and is still only 23. Much of the Italy team is young, learning, hard as nails and not afraid of the wide-open spaces. Photograph: John Crothers/Focus Images Ltd/Shutterstock

Italy and England. On level points in the Six Nations table. Two rounds to go. And England have already played their Wales joker.

All in all, there is quite a lot riding on the fixture in Rome on Saturday, especially if you are interested in the lower reaches of the Six Nations table, a purgatory with which even England are quite familiar. They started this championship ranked third in the world, a whisker behind the All Blacks in second, and feeling (not unreasonably) rather good about themselves after 11 Test wins in succession. Then it was 12 (Wales), and then … oh dear.