England overpower Italy in winning start to Women's Six Nations campaign

03/23/2025 01:50 PM

• England 38-5 Italy
• Five first-half tries give Red Roses well-deserved victory

No one expected it to be easy for Italy. No one expected it to be anything other than straightforward for England. The Red Roses achieved an overwhelming six-try victory in kicking off their attempt at a seventh successive title but, after four scores and one penalty try before the break, they then stuttered significantly and were forced to wait until two minutes from time for a second-half score.

England's hot streak now stretches to 21 consecutive matches, dating back to the Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand in 2022, but there was ultimately a lack of fluency here that may concern the head coach, John Mitchell.