As it Happened: Italy 15-19 England

By Tadhg Peavoy

RTÉ Rugby: Facebook
Twitter: #rterugby
E-mail: sportonline@rte.ie

RESULT: France U20 12-13 Ireland U20

RESULT: Italy 15-19 England
_________________________________

1806 Right folks, thanks for reading.

A report on England's win can be found here.

A report on Ireland U20's win in Grenoble can be found here.

To follow France v Ireland (kick-off 8pm) follow Brendan Cole's text commentary here.

See y'after.

1755 Sergio Parisse is named man-of-the-match for another classy and assured performace for Italy. Again, it wasn't enough as his team falls to another defeat to England.

80 mins FULL-TIME: ITALY 15-19 ENGLAND

Italy go up the middle and into the England half. Again Botes knocks on, Hodgson secures the loose ball and boots to touch. The ref blows for full-time.

England fall across the victory line, but Italy ran them very close here. Once more, a Hodgson try from a knock down helps the red rose to a dubious victory.

79 mins Italy win possession and set the ruck. Fabio Semenzato box kicks and Foden knocks on. Scrum Italy - Parisse picks from the base. Italy recycle.

78 mins England just need to hold on to possession, run down the clock, and keep it simple. If they can do that much, the game is theirs.

77 mins Italy are in control of possession and need a try to take the lead. They're deep in their own half and need patience to move upfield. Shambolic stuff from Botes as he knocks under no pressure. He's had a nightmare.

73 mins Botes has missed an effort on goal from wide left a few minutes ago, with an awful effort which almost hit the corner flag.

He gets a chance to make amends from the right, this time the kick is a miserable yoke that bobbles across the face of the sticks. Two dreadful missed kicks. Why on earth did Brunel take off Burton, who was having a good game.

65 mins PENALTY - ENGLAND - FARRELL

The Italians collapse the scrum on Lo Cicero's side and Farrell converts an easy penalty from in front of the sticks. The red rose beginning to look in control of this one now.

Italy 15-19 England

60 mins England on the attack now. Barritt crashes into the Italy 22 and is stopped by three Italy defenders, at the next breakdown Italy turn it over and try to clear downfield. The ball is knocked down, however, and it's scrum Italy. That scrum holds well and the Azzurri bash downfield, but Robshaw steals the ball as Parisse knocks on. The ref says scrum England.

59 mins Scrum Italy in the England half: the red rose are penalised and Italy kick the penalty to touch. The Azzurri are penalised for crossing at the lineout and it's penalty England. Lost chance for Italy.

56 mins Barritt makes the Italy 22 and tries to feed Croft for a certain try - Italy intecept and clear down the flank. Very, very close call there.

54 mins PENALTY - ENGLAND - FARRELL

From in front of the sticks, around the 22, Farrell slots the penalty. England lead this Test match.

Italy 15-16 England

53 mins England have upped the tempo and bash at Italy with Robshaw. They make the Italy 22 and grubber ahead, Botes gets back to clear to touch. It's taken quickly by England and they come back at Italy. Deliberate offside by Italy and Farrell will have a penalty chance to put England ahead.

51 mins TRY & CONVERSION - ENGLAND - HODGSON & FARRELL

Italy try to clear their lines with a kick from Masi, but Hodgson gets in to block the kick down and follow up to collect the loose ball and cross for a try. From the left touchline, on the 22, Farrell hits a superb conversion to make it a two-point game.

Italy 15-13 England

46 mins PENALTY - ITALY - BURTON

Parisse tries a grubber ahead and is brought down with a stray leg, penalty Italy as Parisse struggles to his feet. Tom Croft was the guilty party. Burton decides to have a go at goal and from left of the sticks, outside the 22, he gets it. England are in a spot of trouble now.

Italy 15-6 England

44 mins Burton goes for a drop goal from the 22, it's nowhere close but England kick away possession.

42 mins Penalty Italy as England kill the ball at the breakdown. Burton thumps the penalty downfield to touch.

1702 Action is back underway in Rome.

1651 HALF-TIME: ITALY 12-6 ENGLAND

40 mins TRY & CONVERSION - ITALY - BENVENUTI & BURTON

Foden flings the ball around the midfield and Benvenuti pounces on the loose pass and races clear of the England defence for a second try. Superb interception and sprinting. Burton converts from in front of the posts. That was criminal from England, all they had to do was play it safe, recyle, play out 30 seconds and kick to touch. Instead they gambled and lost the play. Italy lead at half-time in the Stadio Olimpico.

Italy 12-6 England

37 mins TRY - ITALY - VENDITTI

Italy attack down the left and reach the England 22. Ghiraldini makes a good break and then Canale makes more ground, Parisse following suit. Burton grubbers ahead and Canale gets on the end of it, but he is hammered back in the tackle. Italy recycle and again grubber ahead, the England defence fail to deal with it and Venditti pounces on the loose ball and dives over for the try. Burton misses the conversion from wide right on the touchline.

Italy 5-6 England

36 mins PENALTY - ENGLAND - FARRELL

England win a penalty as the Italians skew the scrum. Farrell decides to go for goal, from halfway, right of goal. It's a tough kick but the first centre makes no mistake with a brilliant kick.

Italy 0-6 England

35 mins Scrum England: they win but the referee wants it reset.

34 mins Castrogiovanni has taken a knock and is going to be replaced. He seems to have taken a blow to the head. Lorenzo Lorenzo Cittadini comes on in his place.

32 mins Italy launch an up and under at England and Parisse gets under it to field. The Italians recycle and go wide left but Canale knocks on. Far too many unforced errors from the Italians so far.

28 mins Italy set a ruck on halfway but fail to use it. Botha bashes forward for England and into the Italian half. England go down the blindside with Robshaw, he takes some stopping that lad. Hodgson launches a high ball and Italy field it.

24 mins PENALTY - ENGLAND - FARRELL

Scrum England on halfway: Italy win against the head and go through the phases before an interception in midfield leaves Strettle kicking ahead, before Burton pulls him back, the ref says penalty England as a result. Farrell to kick, right of the posts, near halfway, no mistake.

Italy 0-3 England

22 mins England win the scrum and go wide right before grubbering along the touchline where Italy gather and are forced into touch. England lineout and they fail to use, Italy steal it and boot downfield.

20 mins Eventually the ping pong ends and Parisse takes it up the middle, but knocks on in contact. It's all errors and kicks so far, the snow and freezing conditions aren't helping.

19 mins Long kick deep to England and Ashton fields it and kicks it along the touchline. Awful kick. Italy return the compliment before Foden again kicks it back it Italy - again they kick. Then Hodgson kicks - jaysus...

17 mins England win the scrum and go to contact. Youngs box kicks long and McLean fields it.

16 mins Italy charge down the left and England end the attack on the 22 and win the scrum. The Azzurri are well up for this.

1615 Ryle Nugent: #rterugby French comms in Rome just announced 20's result from France in a kinda "that can't be true.." tone of voice..

13 mins Italy in possession in the England half now. They take several pick and gos. But Italy fail to release and England win the penalty.

12 mins Masi eventually finds touch for Italy after a serious kicking rally.

9 mins Italy penalised at the scrum for standing up. Penalty England. Youngs tests Venditti with a box kick and the Italian spills it. Hodgson then tries another up and under and Gori fields it. England are then penalised at the ensuing ruck. Burton kicks the penalty to touch and misses. England counter with a kick of their own. It's table tennis out there right now.

8 mins Italy try a chip ahead down the right wing, but the ball bounces out of play. Unlucky.

6 mins England on the attack once more. Hodgson takes it up the middle. It gets lost in contact and Burton hammers it downfield from the boot. It's all England so far.

2 mins England field possession and set the ruck. It's untidy, but okay, and England go wide with Foden and Strettle running it. They make the Italy 22 and switch to the left, they look about to go over in the corner but a final poor pass fails to go to hand. Scrum Italy.

1601 Kris Burton gets action underway in Rome.

1600 Sean Gallagher in Grenoble: A little rub of the green but we deserved it in a freezing Stade des Alpes. Now for a pint of vin chaud in preparation for tonight. Sean

1553 Right, after that fantastic win for Ireland U20 in Grenoble, we switch our attentions to the Eternal City where Italy host England in the senior tournament.

1550 That's Ireland's first U20 victory over Les Bleus since 2009, and with home games against Italy and Scotland to come, the U20 Grand Slam is very much on for Ireland.

1547 FULL-TIME: FRANCE U20 12-13 IRELAND U20

Scrum France: the scrum breaks up as France try to move it. Ireland get in to disrupt it and the referee says knock on France. That's the last play of the match. Ireland win in France. What a superb victory.

1546 Eventually, the TMO says no try! Scrum 5 to France.

1544 The third match official takes an age to decide. We're still waiting.

1540 France pick and go several times right to the line. Inches away. They eventually cross it seems, but the referee goes to the video referee with 13 seconds to go.

1539 Scrum France: it must be reset. France win and drive for the line. They reach the 5-metre line and Ireland repel them.

1538 France attack down the left flank and Ireland intercept but the ball is knocked on. Scrum France in the Ireland 22.

1537 Scrum France on halfway after an Ireland knock on.

1535 PENALTY - IRELAND - HANRAHAN

Ireland awarded a penalty for a France player throwing the ball out of play deliberately. Hanrahan steps up to take the penalty from right of the posts and slots it. Ireland lead the match with six minutes to go.

France U20 12-13 Ireland U20

1534 Ireland openside flanker Aaron Conneely was sin-binned for slapping the ball down at the last penalty.

1533 Ten minutes to go in Grenoble and several France players are down with cramp.

1532 As for the pitch inspection in Paris. That will take place at 6.15pm.

1531 The match in Rome is set to go ahead apparently.

1530 Ilian Peraux misses a penalty for France from halfway - it had the direction but not the distance. It remains a two-point game.

1528 Thirty minutes to kick-off in Rome and the pitch looks very dodgy:

1527 France go on the charge and enter the Ireland 22, but Ireland turn it over at the breakdown and clear their lines. France very much on top now. Ireland can't gain a foothold possession wise.

1525 From the lineout Ireland knock on and France win another scrum.

1524 An early push at scrumtime by France gives Ireland a penalty. Jackson boots the kick to touch around halfway.

1523 The Ireland scrum holds up well and eventually France knock on. Scrum Ireland deep in their own 22.

1522 France pick and go right to the Ireland line and eventually Tom Ecochard crosses the whitewash. The ref rules they are held up and it's a 5-metre scrum for France.

1521 France kick to the corner for the lineout. They rumble toward the line with pick and go attacks.

1520 The Ireland scrum is again massacred - penalty France as the crowd roars 'Allez les Bleus'.

1519 Hanrahan almost gets on the end of a France pass for an intercept, but he can't hold it and knocks on around halfway. He was in for the try if he could have held on to that one.

1518 Twenty minutes to play in Grenoble.

1517 France kicker and outhalf Otazo is substituted for Fabrice Catala of Perpignan.

1516 Ireland launch a superb attack with Chris Farrell but at the next breakdown they knock on. Scrum France. Missed opportunity for Ireland.

1510 PENALTY - FRANCE - OTAZO

Penalty for France as the Ireland scrum wilts under pressure. Otazo will kick for goal. From wide left this time, again outside the 22, the outhalf slots the kick over.

France U20 12-10 Ireland U20

1508 France on the attack in Ireland territory, Ireland steal the ball but it goes forward in doing so.

1502 PENALTY - FRANCE - OTAZO

France win a penalty for Ireland playing the ball on the ground at the breakdown. Otazo takes the kick from wide right of the sticks, outside the 22. He gets it to make it a one-point game.

France U20 9-10 Ireland U20

1500 Sean and Brian Gallagher: Hello from Sean and Brian Gallagher living in Grenoble and delighted to be watching a very good young Irish side take the game to the French.

1457 TRY & CONVERSION - IRELAND - FOSTER HORAN & PADDY JACKSON

Foster Horan powers his way through four France tackles, rolls out of the last tackle, and dives in for a score under the posts. Jackson converts with ease.

France U20 6-10 Ireland U20

1455 Action is back underway in Grenoble. It's 6-3 to France as they kick-off for the second 40 minutes.

1454 The Italy v England game in major danger of being called off now. We'll keep you posted on news as we get it.

1453 George Hamilton has just sent in this image from Stadio Olimpico, Rome:

1445 For a French view of the main match in Stade de France later, listen to this interview with French rugby journalist Arnaud David.

1443 HALF-TIME: FRANCE U20 6-3 IRELAND U20

Ireland give away a penalty for holding on in the tackle and the ball is booted out of play for half-time. Two Clément Otazo for France and one Paddy Jackson penalty has France ahead at half-time in a very tight and nervous battles in Grenoble.

1439 Play is all fits and starts in France. Neither side can gain a foothold in the backline, lots of errors.

1436 Clement Otazo pushes a penalty effort wide of the posts - a let off for Ireland. Thirty four minutes played in Grenoble.

1435 For Sunday's Wales v Scotland preview, click here.

1434 For previews of today's action, read our previews here:

Italy v England

France v Ireland

1430 Half an hour played in and no score change in Grenoble.

1425 Hello and welcome to today's coverage of the RBS 6 Nations. At 4pm Italy play England in Stadio Olimpico, Rome. At 8pm, France host Ireland in Stade de France, Paris.

Currently France U20s and Ireland U20s are in action in Stade des Alpes, Grenoble. The score after 26 minutes is France 6-3 Ireland, with penalties accounting for all the scores. The snow is coming down in Grenoble and conditions are far from ideal for the backs.

It is also snowing in Rome with two hours to kick-off between Italy and England.