Italy 3-67 England: Nine-try England book date in final

secured their place in the Women's final as a flurry of late scores helped them to a nine-try victory in .

In a slow start for the Red Roses, Emily Scarratt and Vicky Fleetwood benefited from Italian mistakes for the side's only first-half tries.

England improved when replacements came on after the break and scored four tries in seven minutes to settle the game.

Captain Sarah Hunter said: “We probably didn't come out with the intensity we should have in the first half.

“I think the second half was more like what we have been working on. We had to wind Italy down a little bit and when you have a bench like we did, some of the tries we scored were outstanding.”

The final is on April 24 but England will not learn their opponents for that match until face next weekend. Les Bleues are the favourites to top Pool B.

Before the game both sides paid tribute to Prince Philip. The English flag was flown at half-mast during the match and a two-minute silence was observed before kick-off, with England players wearing black armbands.

Head coach Simon Middleton rotated his side after last weekend's 52-10 defeat of and the ten changes he made seemed to have sent England backwards initially as Italy dominated early possession.

Scarratt got the visitors on the board when she picked up a dropped ball to cover half the pitch, before converting her own try.

Italy continued to launch spirited attacks but ball-handling was the Azzurre's undoing as Meg Jones grabbed a loose pass and found Fleetwood, who scored.

Middleton condemned repeated inaccuracies against Scotland last weekend and England struggled to tighten up some of those mistakes.

Returning captain Hunter brought an attack to a halt with a knock-on and Scarratt was sinbinned for a high tackle on wing Maria Magatti.

Italy's Michela Sillari knocked over three points before England's Helena Rowland claimed a penalty of her own to take England in with a 13-point lead at the break.

England struggled to find their flow at the start of the second half as Rowland, who was given a second chance to start in her audition to replace Katy Daley-Mclean as flyhalf, mishit a cross-field kick.

After Scarratt earned three points from the tee, Italy's ill-discipline mounted and scrum-half Sara Barattin was yellow carded for coming in at the side of the maul.

Poppy Cleall came on to replace Hunter and after the forwards punched a hole in the defence the ball was spun left for Abbie Dow to score her first. A scything run from flanker Alex Matthews set up a try for Harriet Millar-Mills before Rowland darted through to score followed by Dow's second.

Bryony Cleall touched down from a driving maul before replacements Claudia MacDonald and Lark Davies crossed to bring the tally up to nine.

Middleton said: “We had a really good first half last week and a really good second half this week. We were not physical enough around the breakdown and credit to Italy, their intent was good and we didn't have any ball.”


Italy 3 

Penalties: Sillari 35

ITALY: Furlan (c) 5, Muzzo 4 (Maris 72), Sillari 6, Rigoni 5 (D'Inca 71), Magatti 6, Madia 5, Barattin 6 (Stefan 64, 5); Skofka 5, Cammarano 5 (Sgorbini 68, 5), Gai 5, Fedrighi 5 (Locatelli 66, 5), Duca 5, Arrighetti 5 (Bettoni 43), Franco 6 (Veronese 64, 5), Giordano 5

Not used: Seye

England 67

Tries: Scarratt 23, Fleetwood 30, Dow 55, 62; Millar Mills 57, Rowland 60, B Cleall 70, Macdonald 79, Davies 80+2

Conversions: Scarratt 24, 32, 56, 58, 61, 63, 71, 80

Penalties: Rowland 37, Scarratt 47

ENGLAND: Kildunne 6, Breach 6 (McKenna 60, 6), Scarratt 7, Jones 8 (Harrison 62, 7), Dow 7, Rowland 7, Riley 8 (Macdonald 62, 7); Cornborough 6 (Botterman 56, 7), Cokayne 7 (Davies 56, 6), Brown 7 (B Cleall 58, 7), Aldcroft 7, O'Donnell 6 (Millar Mills 55, 7), Matthews 8, Fleetwood 8, Hunter (c) 7 (P Cleall 53, 7)

REFEREE: Aurelie Groizeleau

Star player: Meg Jones – England