"I am a referee, not a coach," says Romain Poite when James Haskell asks what he is supposed to do if Italy don't commit men to the breakdown.

Touche.

Plough straight over the top of the tackler seems the obvious answer. Maybe Eddie Jones will supply it at half-time.

England's Twitter account taking the highlights where they can from this first half.

If England play like this against Scotland in the Calcutta Cup, it will be a first tartan Twickenham victory since 1983.

They have been tier-two.

Italy with a scrum five metres out.

Image source, Rex Features

Liam Owen:  Very much enjoying the Italians' creativity against England though it will ultimately be futile.

Zeb Bowyer:  Worst 20 under Eddie Jones from England. Turgid, sloppy and lacking intensity. Italy should be up if they could kick.

Harry Holliday:  England can't keep getting away with playing scrappy rugby like this, at some point it will come back to bite them.

More inaccuracy from England as Danny Care clogs a kick out on the full from Italy's restart.

Then England sack Sergio Parisse in mid-air at the resulting line-out to give away the penalty.

Italy kick into the corner for the line-out.

England have handed them an open invite onto the scoreboard.

Former England prop Duncan Bell isn't happy on Twitter...

Paul Grayson
Former England fly-half on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

A solid maul, no Italian player could get their hands anywhere near it.

But this is Sunday rugby, they look like they've been out on a Saturday night at the moment.

A quarter of the match gone, and still Italy seeing more of the ball. But those two Tommaso Allan penalty misses mean the Azzurri still have nothing to show for it...

Image source, Opta

Sergio Parisse off his feet close to the Italy line.

Penalty England.

And Owen Farrell punts into the corner rather than taking the points.

A statement of intent.

England are finally getting some go-forward despite Italy continuing with their shrewd tactics of deserting the breakdown and coming round to clog Danny Care's passing lines.

England manage to get the ball wide. Ben Te'o probes at a pocket of space. Half clear. But his offload to the supporting Jonny May spills forward.

Image source, AFP/Getty Images

Harrison Short:  This is probably the worst start to a rugby match I've seen in a long long time.

Ese Agboaye:  Surely something has to give? This has been rather bland so far. 

Kyle Evans:  Italy have clearly been studying the rule book.

Steffan Gwyn:  Italy are playing very intelligently- hopefully they can keep this up for the full 80!

Elliot Daly flicks an off-load out the backdoor to give Twickers something to get excited about.

It is a false dawn though.

More inaccurate play as Owen Farrell runs a kick straight back into the Italy chase and short of support gives away the penalty for clinging on.

Fortunately for him Tomasso Allan misses off the tee again.

England are spluttering.

And another penalty given away at scrum time by England's front row.

They are being hustled in there. Italy's technical tricks are trumping England's muscle.

Tom Fordyce
Chief sports writer at the Principality Stadium

Typically slow start from England. The sort of torpor felt by the sofa-bound after hefty Sunday roast. Kicking from hand poor in particular  

Paul Grayson
Former England fly-half on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

Very poor start from England. Some distinctly average and inaccurate kicking and clearly the Italians have spotted something in England's ball presentation.

They're running round into what looks like offside positions but the referee is allowing it. England need to find a way round this as it's slowing up the ball.

Another aberration from England as Owen Farrell bites off more of an angle than he can chew off a penalty and punts the ball dead rather than into the corner.

Twickenham seems eerily quiet. This is not the public dissection that they paid for.

Image source, Reuters