Ashton tortures Azzurri
12 Feb 2011
SIMON BORCHARDT reports on England’s 59-13 thrashing of Italy that resulted in four tries for winger Chris Ashton.
After coming so close to beating Ireland last week, the Italians were expected to challenge Martin Johnson’s side at Twickenham, as they did in Rome last year. However, after a competitive first quarter, the visitors were taken apart and the margin of victory could have been even greater had England not emptied their bench in the second half.
The hosts opened the scoring in the third minute when Ben Youngs put Toby Flood into space. The flyhalf drew Italy fullback Luke McLean and found Ashton, who sprinted 20m before swallow-diving under the posts.
Two penalties from Mirco Bergamasco and one from Flood saw England leading just 10-6 after 20 minutes, before the Italian left wing pushed his third attempt wide of the right-hand upright.
Fifteen minutes later, Italy were dead and buried. Ashton scored his second try after Shontayne Hape bounced off a defender close to the line, and an inside pass from Flood allowed Mark Cueto to break his 19-Test try-scoring drought. An excellent hand-off and one-handed offload from Nick Easter then put Mike Tindall away to make it 31-6 at the break.
Things went from bad to worse for Italy when Martin Castrogiovanni was yellow carded early in the second half when he prevented Youngs from taking a quick tap penalty. The visitors’ defence did well over the next few minutes, but just when it looked as if they wouldn’t concede any points while their tighthead prop was off, Ashton went over for his hat-trick. With Italy back to 15 men, replacement scrumhalf Danny Care then dived over to make it 45-6.
The visitors restored some pride when substitute hooker Fabio Ongaro scored from a driving maul, but tries from James Haskell and Ashton completed the rout.
England will go into their next match, against France at Twickenham in two weeks’ time, full of confidence, while Nick Mallett will be hoping to get Italy’s season back on track against Wales in Rome.
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134 Comments
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12 Feb 2011, 18:22 pm
Pomm Dragons?
12 Feb 2011, 18:22 pm
Keep an eye on Ashton
12 Feb 2011, 18:24 pm
Can Ashton tackle Matfield? Hahahaha, not that I know of
12 Feb 2011, 18:35 pm
Missed this whole game. Whoah!!! England must be playing good rugby. Never thought they would beat Italy by that much. England could be peaking just right for the wc. A dark horse there for the cup for sure.
12 Feb 2011, 18:37 pm
Good luck to Scotland for their game against Wales. Hope the Scots beat Wales. Hoping, see the game is at Murrayfield. Could have a good chance.
GO SCOTLAND.
12 Feb 2011, 18:38 pm
@Puma(Puma)-4: hello Puma, England played very well. They will be a threat come RWC time. There backs hit the ball at pace and looked creative – something we haven’t seen from our fumbling carthorses in years.
12 Feb 2011, 18:39 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-6: perhaps Eddie Moans can help you guys again? seems no one else wants to work with PDV..
though I believe its because of your 1st 5/8th..
12 Feb 2011, 18:40 pm
There POMS are a danger to everyone come the RWC.
and WPian’s you team is hondkak – fat Ricky and slow Bolla eish
12 Feb 2011, 18:42 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-7: any suggestion on who to select?
12 Feb 2011, 18:44 pm
@MTN RedLion Roars…(RL)-8: amazing how a team can thrash a, lets be honest, second tier nation and everyone rates them… yet they were ordinary in the EOYTs, showing they still had some way to go to compete with SA and NZ..
lets face it, there are probably 5 or 6 teams at the WC that are a threat, the rest just making up numbers, but lets not go overboard until we see Eng play France, I think that will be a much truer indication of where Eng are at..
12 Feb 2011, 18:45 pm
@MTN RedLion Roars…(RL)-8: …and next weekend your team breaks the record for the most consecutive losses in Super Rugby
12 Feb 2011, 18:46 pm
@JL1(JL1)-9: nope, no idea… but the fact he stands so far back in the pocket makes it much harder for your backline to penetrate IMO..
12 Feb 2011, 18:46 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-10: I posted something similar on another page
Eng has 2 wins against the Tri Nations and both were against Aus, their local derby game
12 Feb 2011, 18:47 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-6: Howzit Spooner,
Yeah, just looking at the score tells me something. Missed this whole game. Out for a early dinner. Think England gonna peak at the right time.
Now hope the Scots can beat Wales.
12 Feb 2011, 18:48 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-12: Howzit Poppa, How you bud?
Okay back later, gonna watch the start of the Scottish game. Love their anthem.
12 Feb 2011, 18:50 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-12: Yes, you need to be able to play flat but also need to be able to protect the channel
Butch can play that way but he is a liability imo
12 Feb 2011, 18:54 pm
@Puma(Puma)-15: hey Puma, enjoy the game in your kilt and with your haggis
@JL1(JL1)-16: yep, Butch has the stigma of his head high tackles, and that will always follow you around…both our teams do not have depth in the 1st 5 department, a real worry for both teams..
I also agree with you re Aus vs Eng, Eng seem to lift and have the confidence to beat the Aussies, but when they come up against both the Boks and the ABs they arent so sure and it reflects on the scoreboard..
12 Feb 2011, 19:00 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-17: Will Carter be covered in cotton wool?
Surely he is key, if he gets injured the Kiwis can almost kiss their RWC chances away
12 Feb 2011, 19:01 pm
Morne Steyn is a very one dimensional limited fly half Poppa’s right, him and Smittie pumpkin gonna cost us the Wc, plus Schalk the skulking hulk, anyone still thinking he’s anything closely resembling a captains behind is still living in delirious daydreaming delusions, as one dimensional flat track bully bumkin as they come, he belongs at Bulls. Oh and before I forget to mention it just for some good measure messiah FdP ain’t gonna be walking on any water this coming Wc you can take that to Boland bank and bank it.
.
12 Feb 2011, 19:03 pm
@JL1(JL1)-11: I do not think so, but at least my team won’t be wearing the 2nd fugliest jersey in Super history after that 1998 Stormers jersey.
12 Feb 2011, 19:04 pm
@skopiskoobidoo(ilanjo)-19: Sataing the obvious will ot help PdV
He needs suggestions
Schalk can still play a role from the bench so can Smit
Flyhalf we have issues
12 Feb 2011, 19:06 pm
@MTN RedLion Roars…(RL)-20: The llok of the jersey means nothing compared to 14 losses
I know which one I prefer and it is not the false sense that you will actually beat the Bulls
12 Feb 2011, 19:07 pm
@JL1(JL1)-22: yes it is fugly and I will wait for next weeks match.
12 Feb 2011, 19:08 pm
I think this Elgar Watts can really be the panacea for fly half ills that WP Stormers been missing last year since Grant left, he’s even better than M. Steyn or Patrick Lambiekins just don’t let him take any kicks at goal.
12 Feb 2011, 19:08 pm
Flower of Scotland is just beautiful
12 Feb 2011, 19:09 pm
The new Stormers jerseys are actually pretty good. Better than the Sharks “sun rising in the east” cheap looking cr*p!
12 Feb 2011, 19:10 pm
Go Jocks
12 Feb 2011, 19:10 pm
@skopiskoobidoo(ilanjo)-24: He is a good player, full of running
Maybe get Morne in at Fullback for kicks
12 Feb 2011, 19:11 pm
@JL1(JL1)-18: I certainly hope he wont be, nothing like game time no matter the risk… while he is a monumental cog in the ABs, too much reliance on one player IMO is the wrong approach…
its just GH wasted such an opportunity on the EOYT last year when he took Donald, who has shown he cant step up… should have trialled someone else IMO…
12 Feb 2011, 19:11 pm
the battle of the Celts vs the Norsemen at Murrayfield, all Her Majesty’s good subjects providing all the fun at the fair.
12 Feb 2011, 19:12 pm
Oh no that squeaky Welshmen is commenting again
12 Feb 2011, 19:14 pm
@JL1(JL1)-28: can Morne play FB? also, very hard to ask someone new to step into the breach in a WC…thats why this super season is so important for both countries chances, sort the wheat from the chaff so to speak..
12 Feb 2011, 19:14 pm
I been saying that two years running now JL1, M. Steyn to full back and Pienaar or Grant or even this Watts to 10. Things could turn around at the flick of an easy switch.
12 Feb 2011, 19:18 pm
@skopiskoobidoo(ilanjo)-33: you must have a crystal ball that really works skop! All these predictions of yours, coming true!
12 Feb 2011, 19:20 pm
James Hook is a consumate No.10 very similar to what Pienaar could have been if only he’d had proper mentorship or coaching.
12 Feb 2011, 19:22 pm
its amazing what you can see if you just apply a little common sense all you gotta do is open your dreary half shut eyes.
12 Feb 2011, 19:25 pm
Even Lionel Cronje is much better than Watts at 10.
12 Feb 2011, 19:26 pm
@skopiskoobidoo(ilanjo)-36: but skop, with your very wide open eyes you still predicted the Sharks would lose to the Bulls in the CC semi, and then lose to WP in the CC final last year
Bound to get one right eventually!
12 Feb 2011, 19:27 pm
@skopiskoobidoo(ilanjo)-33: Will Watts even get some game time with the Stormers?
12 Feb 2011, 19:30 pm
@JL1(JL1)-39:
Highly unlikely, maybe occasionally off the bench, but he will never start.
12 Feb 2011, 19:32 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-40:
12 Feb 2011, 19:35 pm
Afternoon All…Nice to see a good score for us at Twickenham today!!
Nice try from Shane Williams in the Scotland v Wales game just now.
12 Feb 2011, 19:41 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-40: What is this Gary van Aswegen like?
12 Feb 2011, 19:42 pm
@carol(carol)-42: The Poms were fantastic – congratulations on a fine win.
12 Feb 2011, 19:44 pm
@carol(carol)-42:
Hi,
Much better than the rubbish the Stormers are dishing out at Newlands.
I think they might be scared of the Bolanders who are playing in pink jerseys – it is a south effrikan thing- be aware of a man who wears pink, lol
12 Feb 2011, 19:45 pm
@MTN RedLion Roars…(RL)-44:
Why thank you very much MTN Red Lion !!
I missed the game…
Feel a bit sorry for Nick Mallett.
12 Feb 2011, 19:45 pm
Shaun Lamont is having a storming game.
12 Feb 2011, 19:46 pm
@JL1(JL1)-43:
He is very talented- a good solid all round flyhalf that can kick goals as well – a bit green still, but imo he must be the back up for Grant (might even replace him before too long)
12 Feb 2011, 19:48 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-45:
Some men look fantatic in pink…..Saffa men should not be afraid to wear it on or off the rugby field.
Looks great with a tan!!
12 Feb 2011, 19:50 pm
MSteyn is no fullback’s arse, the time for sticking the least mobile player in you team @ fullback just to take the kicks is OVER… Remember Jouba?…teams have lethal & dynamic fullbacks like Beale, Mils, Foden, Dagg o’Connor – on occasion -, Kearny, Jane, Aplon who counter-attack. The days of staid Percy-like fullbacks are over.
Unless bloody skop & jag is your bread & butter!
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