Matt Dawson
Former England scrum-half on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

That's just a reminder for Paolo Garbisi that this game is going to be approximately half a second quicker with your boot, your feet, your hands, your mind and everything is going to have to be done quickly because you're going to have players all over you.

Lucky boy! Italy's Paolo Garbisi tries to clear his lines with the boot, but dallies a second too long and Tom Curry charges down. But the Sale flanker can't quite chase it down.

Early warning for Italy. England look hungry and menacing...

Paul Grayson
Former England fly-half on BBC 5 Radio Live Sports Extra

England have got so many good players - you can probably list sideways in six or seven positions three or four players where it may just be a toss of a coin and who the coach likes.

Owen Farrell kicks into touch and the visitors look for field position. Kicks back and forth as the teams feel things out.

Early scrum for England on the left. England have a decent weight advantage in the pack. Italy can't cope with it and their scrum goes under. Penalty to England...

Here. We. Go!

Italy's number 10 Paolo Garbisi does the honours.

England have the ball as they look to crack on. Big win needed, remember.

ITALY

15-Matteo Minozzi, 14-Edoardo Padovani, 13-Luca Morisi, 12-Carlo Canna, 11-Mattia Bellini;

10-Paolo Garbisi, 9-Marcello Violi;

1-Danilo Fischetti, 2-Luca Bigi (C), 3-Giosue Zilocchi, 4-Marco Lazzaroni, 5-Niccolo Cannone, 6-Sebastian Negri, 7-Braam Steyn, 8-Jake Polledri.

Replacements:16- Gianmarco Lucchesi, 17- Simone Ferrari, 18- Pietro Ceccarelli, 19- David Sisi, 20- Johan Meyer, 21- Maxime Mbanda, 22- Guglielmo Palazzani, 23- Federico Mori.

ENGLAND

15-George Furbank, 14-Anthony Watson, 13-Jonathan Joseph, 12-Henry Slade, 11-Jonny May;

10-Owen Farrell (C), 9-Ben Youngs;

1-Mako Vunipola, 2-Jamie George, 3-Kyle Sinckler, 4-Maro Itoje, 5-Jonny Hill, 6-Tom Curry, 7-Sam Underhill, 8-Billy Vunipola.

Replacements:16-Tom Dunn, 17-Ellis Genge, 18-Will Stuart, 19-Charlie Ewels, 20-Ben Earl, 21-Dan Robson, 22-Ollie Lawrence, 23-Ollie Thorley.

Almost show time. Here is one last reminder of the two teams...

Another downside to no fans is hearing how woefully out of tune the England boys are.

Ahhh, Il Canto degli Italiani. Almost forgot how uplifting the Italian anthem is. The past six months would probably have been much brighter if I'd listened to this twice every day.

The Italians, hands on heart, belt out their rabble rouser with Luca Bigi taking on the Gianluigi Buffon role.

The two sets of players line up at the side of the pitch, taking a moment's silence to highlight the Rugby Against Racism campaign.

Then it is anthem time, starting with England.

All together now...

England can lift the mood of the nation by winning the Six Nations on Saturday, says hooker Jamie George.

A big bonus-point win against Italy and the result of France v Ireland going their way in Paris will wrap up a first title for Eddie Jones' side since 2017.

"We are going to show how much it means for us to play for England," George told BBC Sport.

"Hopefully we can lift the title and that will bring a lot of smiles to a lot of people across the country."

Image source, PA Media

What a strange sight this is. Ben Youngs leads out the England team into an empty Stadio Olimpico on the occasion of his 100th cap, with Jamie George following him out on his 50th.

The pair grin and share a warm hug before their team-mates follow them out. Ahh.

Rightio, this is your five-minute warning.

Go grab a quick cuppa, crack open the biscuits and settle down for kick-off...

Eyebrows were raised on some faces by Eddie Jones' selection of Northampton's George Furbank at full-back in the absence of Elliot Daly.

Furbank, 24, comes in for his third cap, while most expected Anthony Watson to drop back to 15 and Gloucester try-machine Ollie Thorley to start on the wing.

"It is classic Eddie, no-one knows what he is going to do," England wing Chris Ashton said on the BBC's Rugby Union Podcast.

"On Furbank, something which sticks in my mind is the game recently against Bath where he did not catch a high ball.

"Eddie must see something that we don't. We will have to see how it plays out.

"I'm sure Furbank will be a very good player for a long time but I think there were other people slightly ahead of him.

"Max Malins, for example, has done more than enough playing at 15 for Bristol."

Image source, Getty Images

Sir Clive Woodward isn't too happy with Eddie Jones' "tinkering" by the sounds of it. He wants Henry Slade at 12, not 13.

That hasn't been the only talking point about Jones' selection this week...

Youngs still has plenty of miles on the clock and can overtake Leonard's record of 114 caps, says England head coach Eddie Jones.

In fact, Jones has backed the 31-year-old to get halfway to a double century!

"I've got the utmost admiration for him," said Jones. "He has really worked hard at his game to get himself back to his best. He's been outstanding for us.

"There is no reason why he can't get to 150, that's the goal for him."

He might have been forgiven for thinking it would never happen, but eventually Ben Youngs gets to celebrate a special day.

The England scrum-half wins his 100th cap today, becoming only the second man after Jason Leonard to reach the century.

Not only has Eddie Jones had to contend with a reshuffle of his squad, there was the whole Barbarians debacle too.

The cancellation of last weekend's match because 13 Baa-Baas players broke coronavirus protocols left the sport a "laughing stock", said the England head coach.

"It's not good for rugby, but we have got an opportunity to turn that around. It's a weight we carry and it's a weight that we will enjoy carrying," said the Australian.

"We are lucky enough to play the game at the highest level and we want to make sure we put the game back where it needs to be."