Summary

  • England beat Italy 61-33 in Women's Six Nations penultimate round - match report

  • Red Roses stay top of table with fourth win and face France in final round as they seek Grand Slam

  • First half: M Packer (2), Cokayne (2), Rowland and Venner tries for England; Vecchini, penalty try, Ranuccini for Italy

  • Second half: M Packer (2) and Burton tries for England; Sgorbini (2) tries for Italy

  • Smaller balls for women's rugby 'worst decision ever' - Harrison

Have your say on the Women's Six Nations

Live Reporting

Elizabeth Botcherby and Grace Wheeler

  1. Replacement

    Italy 19-40 England

    Italy have made one change, with prop Gaia Maris coming on for Vittoria Zanette.

  2. Kick-off

    Italy 19-40 England

    The players are back out in the Parma sun (by contrast, it's raining in Salford - I promise I'm not jealous).

    Italy get the second half under way.

    Italy v England in play actionGetty Images

  3. HT: Italy 19-40 England

    19 points is the second-most points Italy have scored against England.

    They lost 33-24 in Turin in 2016.

    Surely they'll set a new record today?

  4. 'It is frustrating' at this point in the game'

    HT: Italy 19-40 England

    Ruby Tui
    New Zealand World Cup winner on BBC Two

    Over the last 10 years the women's game has only gone and got better. It is a little frustrating that it has been this point in the game and frustrating because where does it come from? At this stage, what does a trial look like, who are you asking, and who will you talk about it too?

  5. England will give the new ball size a 'chance to settle the debate'

    HT: Italy 19-40 England

    Zoe Stratford
    England's World Cup winning captain on BBC One

    I do agree with Zoe Harrison. We [England] will give it a chance to settle the debate. That is Zoe's point of difference in the game and for her to not be consulted in knowing that a new ball was coming in, leads to questions around the reasons behind the ball change.

  6. Smaller balls 'worst decision ever' - Harrison

    HT: Italy 19-40 England

    Zoe Harrison on smaller ball trial in the WXV Global Series

    One of the big talking points in women's rugby this week has been the introduction of smaller balls for this autumn's WXV Global Series, with England fly-half Zoe Harrison calling it "the worst decision someone has ever made".

    Size 4.5 balls - about 3% smaller, but the same weight as a regulation size five - will be used for the tournament in September and October.

    "It's the worst decision that someone has ever made," Harrison told BBC Sport, explaining she only learned about the trial when asked about it by journalists.

    "I've not kicked any less than a size five since I was the age of 14.

    "There is not the same amount of surface area for you to wrap your foot around."

    You can read more here.

  7. HT: Italy 19-40 England

    It was all England for the opening 15 minutes in Parma, with Marlie Packer, Amy Cokayne, Helena Rowland, and Mia Venner all crossing over to secure the bonus point.

    Vittoria Vecchini pulled one back for Italy before Cokayne grabbed her second - and England's fifth - on the 20-minute mark.

    Italy grew into the match, scoring two more tries - a penalty try following a deliberate knock-on from Ellie Kildunne and a first try of the championship for Alissa Ranuccini - either side of Packer's second.

    At half-time, it's England lead 40-19 and the big challenge for Italy will be neutralising the driving maul, with Cokayne and Packer causing chaos.

  8. Get Involved

    Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say

    All of the England women’s teams are so inspiring! They always show resilience and never give up. Whether that’s the Lionesses, Red roses or Women’s Three Lions, they’re all so amazing! Looking forward to the T20 women’s cricket World Cup! Hopefully they can add to the women’s trophy tally!

    Sakinah, Birmingham

  9. Half-time

    Italy 19-40 England

    Italy scrum-half Sofia Stefan boots the ball out of play to bring an action-packed first half to a close.

    Nine tries. A bonus point for England. My keyboard is smoldering.

  10. Italy 19-40 England

    England and Italy trade knock-ons as the first half heads towards a scrappy conclusion.

    Italy have the scrum with the clock in the red.

  11. Italy 19-40 England

    Brian Moore
    Former England hooker on BBC Two

    We have to give Turani enormous credit for seeing and feeling that gap.

  12. converted try

    Converted try - Italy 19-40 England

    Alissa Ranuccini (con Michaela Sillari)

    Tries are coming thick and fast in this opening 40 minutes! That's nine so far.

    Three of those belong to Italy and their latest effort is all thanks to Silvia Turani, who spots a gap at the breakdown and bursts free.

    Alissa Ranuccini dots over and Michaela Sillari adds the extra two.

  13. Italy 12-40 England

    Katy Daley-Mclean
    England's 2014 World Cup winning captain on BBC Two

    That was a bit of a pace change then from England. Cokayne didn't even get time to get into position and Packer was off.

  14. converted try

    Converted try - Italy 12-40 England

    Marlie Packer (con Zoe Harrison)

    There's try number six! And it's Marlie Packer for her second of the game.

    This time, Amy Cokayne's throw goes to the back of the line-out and Packer takes two strides before diving over.

  15. Italy 12-33 England

    Ohhh that should have been England's sixth try!

    Zoe Harrison kicked the penalty to the corner and the resulting line-out is successfully collected by Delaney Burns and handed to - who else? - Amy Cokayne?

    The maul starts driving, England earn another penalty, and they have a punt forward but Meg Jones just can't get on the end of it.

  16. Italy 12-33 England

    Deary me. A simple error from Sofia Stefan as the hosts try to find space on the wing hands England a scrum inside Italy's half.

    The scrum starts to march forward and Stefan's error is compounded by Italy conceding a penalty from the set piece.

    Anyone else sense a driving maul on the horizon?

  17. Italy 12-33 England

    Lovely defence from Italy, halting England's maul and forcing them into an error as Lucy Packer hurries to get the ball out.

    After an appalling 20 minutes, they've grown into this game.

  18. Italy 12-33 England

    Katy Daley-Mclean
    England's 2014 World Cup winning captain on BBC Two

    The referee was very clear there. Ellie Kildunne will know what she did there.

  19. Sin-bin - Ellie Kildunne

    Italy 12-33 England

    England's Ellie Kildunne will spend the next 10 minutes in the sin-bin for that deliberate knock-on.

  20. try

    Penalty try - Italy 12-33 England

    Italy had bodies queuing up on the right flank. Had Ellie Kildunne not intervened, they would have been in in the corner.

    Penalty try for the hosts.