ITALY

will lose at Twickenham. The result is in no doubt at all. England want the visitors to turn up determined to take them on rather than try to negate their superiority with spoiling tactics, as they did with their ‘ruckless’ ploy in 2017. But what incentive is there for the Italians to do so? Conor O’Shea is without a Six Nations win in his three years in charge and the Azzurri are on a 20-match losing streak in the tournament. They are not justifying their inclusion and cannot enjoy protected status for ever.