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England will kick off their 2024 Six Nations tournament with a trip to face Italy at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Saturday.
Despite coming out on top just once in their last 42 Six Nations games, Italy are improving year after year. They lost all five matches last time out, albeit by an average of 12 points, their best performance since 2009, while they came frustratingly close to beating France in their opening match of the competition.
The Azzurri are going through a significant upheaval, with Kieran Crowley out of the door and former Argentine fly-half Gonzalo Quesada coming in. The new coach is highly regarded and is expected to lead Italy to new heights. He will certainly be motivating his side to give a good account of themselves in front of a packed Stadio Olimpico.
As for the visitors, it is all about building on a strong World Cup showing last year that saw them clinch the bronze medal only 10 months after Steve Borthwick took over the reins. Borthwick's side fell way short of meeting expectations in the last Six Nations, however, a stunning World Cup run in France has instilled new hope amongst the supporters.
Italy vs England date and kickoff time
| Date | Saturday, February 3, 2024 |
| Kickoff time | 9:15 a.m. ET/ 8:15 a.m. CT/ 6:15 a.m. PT |
| Venue | Stadio Olimpico |
| Location | Rome, Italy |
| Referee | Paul Williams (New Zealand) |
How to watch Italy vs England on TV & stream live online
NBC Sports is the rights holder for the tournament in the USA and will be showing every game of the 2024 Six Nations live, while Six Nations matches will also be available to watch on CNBC (on delay).
With every fixture shown on NBC, the easiest and cheapest option is to invest in a Peacock subscription. The streaming service of NBC costs just $5.99 per month for the Premium Plan, which will allow you to watch all Six Nations fixtures, including Italy versus England.
There's also no contract with this service, meaning you could essentially subscribe for two months while the tournament is on and cancel following it.
Streaming the game with a VPN
- Overview of VPN services that allow access to geo-restricted streams
- How to set up and use a VPN service to stream the match
You can watch the game from wherever you are in the world by using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) service such as NordVPN/ ExpressVPN. A VPN will allow you to create a secure connection online when you are abroad on holiday or for work and you want to stream the game live.
If you are not sure which VPN to use or how to use a VPN, we have taken a look at the best options available out there for watching live sports - check out the best VPN services review here.
Here’s an easy step-by-step guide on how to use a VPN to watch a game when you are overseas:
- Install VPN of your choice - see our reviews here for the best options.
- Select the location you wish to connect to. This is easy - if you are visiting the UK and you wish to continue watching one of your U.S. streaming services, you would select the US.
- Grab the popcorn and get ready to watch!
Italy vs England team news & starting lineup
Italy team news
Italy will be without the services of Simone Ferrari, Paolo Odogwu, Dino Lamb and Marco Riccioni due to injury, while Matteo Nocera, Luca Rizzoli and Mirco Spagnolo have all received call-ups and will start on the replacements bench. Michele Lamaro retains the captaincy and will lead a relatively experienced Italian outfit.
Tommaso Menoncello, who was forced to miss the whole World Cup campaign owing to a bicep injury, will return to the centre position for Italy at Six Nations, while it's a family affair at half-back for the Gli Azzurri, with Alessandro Garbisi beating Stephen Varney to the No.9 spot.
He plays inside his brother Paolo, the mercurial fly-half who will drive their attack. There is plenty of flair in the Italian backs, with the lightning fast Ange Capuozzo and Monty Ioane on the wings, and seasoned Tommaso Allan acting as a second playmaker at full-back.
Italy starting lineup: Allan; Capuozzo, Brex, Menoncello, Ioane; P Garbisi; A Garbisi; Fischetti, Lucchesi, Ceccarelli; N Cannone, Ruzza; Negri, Lamari (c), L Cannone
Replacements: Nicotera, Spagnolo, Zilocchi, Zambonin, Iachizzi, Zuliani, Varney, Pani
England team news
Italy is no longer a given win, but Steve Borthwick will be expected to pull up a bonus point triumph in Rome on Saturday, despite the fact that their preparations this week have been derailed by a raft of injuries.
Jack van Poortvliet is out, as is centre Ollie Lawrence with a hip problem and joins Manu Tuilagi, Tom Curry, Bevan Rodd, Luke Cowan‑Dickie, George Martin, Anthony Watson, Raffi Quirke, and Nick Isiekwe on the treatment table.
Legendary duo Owen Farrell and Courtney Lawes have stepped away from international rugby. Harlequins star Marcus Smith has been slated to fill the Farrell void at fly-half. However, the 24-year-old has suffered a calf injury at a pre-Six Nations training camp in Girona this week, and could be missing for a "number of weeks."
That means Borthwick will have to call on the experience of George Ford, with uncapped Northampton youngster Fin Smith set for his Test debut off the bench alongside the likes of Harlequins flanker Chandler Cunningham-South and Exeter wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso. With Farrell ruling himself out of the Six Nations, Borthwick has opted to hand the captain’s armband to hooker Jamie George.
Exeter flanker Ethan Roots will make his debut for England as he hopes to follow in the footsteps of retired Lawes, while Northampton centre Fraser Dingwall is the only other debutant in the Lions' first XV. Scrum-half Alex Mitchell has made an unexpected late recovery to force his way into the starting lineup.
England starting lineup: Steward; Freeman, Slade, Dingwall, Daly; Ford, Mitchell; Marler, George (c), Stuart; Itoje, Chessum; Roots, Underhill, Earl
Replacements: Dan, Genge, Cole, Coles, Cunningham-South, Care, F Smith, Feyi-Waboso
Italy vs England head-to-head record
England have been the dominant force in this fixture, having beaten Italy in every match ever played between the two nations since their first meeting in 1991. They won 33-0 in Rome in 2022, and the 31-14 victory at Twickenham in February was their first under Borthwick.
| Date | Fixture | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 12/02/23 | England 31-14 Italy | Six Nations |
| 13/02/22 | Italy 0-33 England | Six Nations |
| 13/02/21 | England 41-18 Italy | Six Nations |
| 31/10/20 | Italy 5-34 England | Six Nations |
| 07/09/19 | England 37-0 Italy | Int. Friendly Games |