Stakes sky high for England as Italy eye Six Nations upset for the ages

England have beaten the Azzurri in all 32 meetings over the last 35 years but that record could slip in Rome on Saturday

Most England fans will remember the classic final scene in The Italian Job. The bus precariously balanced on the edge of a precipice, the golden loot slipping away. One false move and it’s curtains. Welcome to this weekend’s sequel with Steve Borthwick and his under-pressure England players replacing Michael Caine – “Hang on a minute, lads, I’ve got a great idea” – and the rest of the original film’s cast.

Talk about the self-preservation society. England’s recent car-crash defeats by Scotland and Ireland were pretty grim but there have been any number of precedents over the years. What has never materialised in 32 previous meetings dating back 35 years is a loss to Italy. If that sequence ends on Saturday it really would be a new reputational low