Italy defeat England for the first time in Six Nations history. Italy made history tonight with the team’s first ever victory over England in the Six Nations Men’s Rugby Championship. Having lost their previous 32 encounters, the 33rd meeting proved lucky for the Azzurri. Fans savoured every moment before and after the final whistle. When the game ended, the stadium erupted. Flags, hats and hands flew into the air as supporters celebrated, with some even moved to tears. Italy’s Leonardo Marin scored the decisive try with eight minutes left on the clock, completing a remarkable comeback from an 18–10 deficit. It was a crucial moment in an intense, pressure-filled match. Earlier in the half, England captain Maro Itoje and flanker Sam Underhill both received yellow cards, temporarily reducing England to 13 players and giving Italy a surge of momentum. “We are gutted,” England head coach Steve Borthwick said after the game. “For 60 minutes we were in control and those two sin-bins hurt us. Credit to Italy, who have come a long way… It is tough right now. The team isn’t where we want it to be.” Asked whether he believed he should remain in charge of England, Borthwick replied: “Yes I do. I believe I am the right man to take this team forward.” England dominated the early stages of the match, despite Italy putting the first points on the scoreboard. The lead changed hands several times, with England narrowly entering halftime ahead 12–10 after Tom Roebuck finished a last-minute try from a cross-field kick by Tim Smith. England began the second half eager to respond after the physical opening 40 minutes, which left several of their players visibly bloodied. Smith avoided repeating his earlier mistake of kicking for the corner. Instead, he opted for a penalty kick, extending England’s lead to 15–10. England continued to apply pressure and stretched the score to 18–10 with 27 minutes remaining, leaving Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada visibly frustrated on the sidelines. Fly-half Pablo Garbisi then brought Italy back into contention, reducing the deficit to two points with two penalty kicks and shifting the momentum toward the home side. The winning moment came soon after. Marin capitalised on the numerical advantage while England were down a player. After a rapid move down the left side and a sequence of passes, he crossed the line for the try. The successful conversion pushed Italy ahead 23–18. Captain Itoje watched from the sidelines during his sin-bin period and later admitted England’s lack of discipline proved decisive. “Our discipline wasn’t good enough and ultimately the Italians came back into the game,” he said. Italy’s defence held firm in the closing minutes, preventing England from scoring as the final seconds ticked away and sealing a historic victory. The stadium announcer struggled to contain his excitement, repeating the word “incredible” over the loudspeakers. England players were left hunched over on the pitch, physically drained by the defeat. For Italy, however, the mood was entirely different. The joy of victory was overwhelming, as summed up by head coach Gonzalo Quesada. “The emotions at the end of the game were just amazing,” he said. “I will never forget them. The players showed such passion to overcome some errors and win the game. They took the chances when they came. We knew England was under pressure as a team and that helped us.” Ph: Marco Iacobucci Epp / Shutterstock.com