Rome (AFP)

The XV of England, looking for a first title in the Six Nations Tournament since 2017, put themselves in a good position by winning the bonus against Italy (34-5) on Saturday in Rome but remains suspended at verdict of France-Ireland, disputed in the evening.

With 18 points, thanks to the five points of the enhanced success achieved at the Stadio Olimpico on the last day of the Tournament, the English must hope that Ireland (14 pts) will not also seek a victory with a bonus in France, this which would allow the XV at Clover to finish alone in the lead.

In the event of a tie in points with the Irish (if the XV at Clover wins, but without bonus) or with the French (if the Blues win with bonus), everything will be decided with the general difference in points: the English now have a difference of +44, against +38 for Ireland and +13 for France.

For the Blues, that means scoring at least four tries (for the bonus) but also winning with at least 31 points in advance ...

Faced with the weakest team in the group, rolled last week in Ireland (17-50), the English stammered their rugby for a half before ensuring their minimum objective: to ensure the offensive bonus point, which has been done in the last quarter of an hour.

But without the many technical errors and a lack of concentration in the first half against voluntary Italians, they should have put themselves in an even more favorable position before France-Ireland.

Everything started very quickly, despite the almost eight months without a match: the English pierced the Italian line and Ben Youngs celebrated his 100th cape in the most beautiful way by going to flatten between the posts.

Farrell converted and added a penalty in stride for a 10-0 entry.

But the beautiful mechanics got stuck in the face of combative Italians in the regroupings and present when the ball fell.

The Azzurri were rewarded with a good corner try from Polledri (18th) after a loss of the English ball and were not far from adding a second just before the break against a confused and unrecognizable XV de la Rose.

At the end of an explanation of text that one imagines muscular at half-time from Eddie Jones, the English reaction was not long in coming back from the locker room: Youngs, again, flew alone between the posts after just a few seconds (41st).

More concentrated, the English finally unrolled against Italians still valiant but too fair.

And the long-awaited trials arrived: the English hooker Jim George was pushed into the in-goal by his partners (51st), Curry scored in the corner (67th) soon followed by Slade (72nd).

Contract filled therefore for the vice-world champions, but will that be enough?

Answer in a few hours.

The Italians, despite a new wooden spoon (the fifth in a row, since 2016), will have found something to gain a little confidence in their first half, for the umpteenth reconstruction operation launched after having said goodbye this summer to Alessandro Zanni (119 selections), and while awaiting the close jubilee of Sergio Parisse (142 selections).

Paolo Garbisi, 20, author of 12 of 17 Italian points in Ireland for his first selection a week earlier, showed some good things at the start of the match before disappearing, like his team.

© 2020 AFP