Italy Women 7-42 England Women: Winning start for Red Roses
Last Updated: 04/02/18 8:25pm
England Women opened their 2018 Six Nations campaign with a bonus-point win against Italy on Sunday as the Red Roses ran in seven tries in Reggio Emilia in a 42-7 victory.
Sarah Bern crossed off the back of an impressive driving maul for England to open the scoring after six minutes, but Italy were level just before half-time when Valentina Ruzza went over from close range, meaning the game was finely poised at 7-7.
However, England pulled away after the break, with fly-half Katy Daley-Mclean's simple penalty starting the scoring as the Red Roses regained the lead.
Captain Sarah Hunter was at the back of another maul and collapsed over the line, before Poppy Cleall finished a flowing move on the right for England's third.
Abigail Dow scored her sixth try in three caps for the bonus-point score, Hunter's second came off a powerful short run, Ellie Kildunne burst through for the sixth before Hunter scored her hat-trick off the back of a disrupted scrum.
Hunter's first second-half try was her 20th for her country, taking her to 100 points overall, with her second from a good running angle and her third coming with the final play of the match, as England pushed Italy off a put-in to their own scrum and pounced on the loose ball.
It was the usual industrious, busy performance from the 32-year-old, who got through a lot of ball carrying on the night and was busy in defence.
England are back in action at the Twickenham Stoop in London next Saturday, against a Wales side who also won their Six Nations opener, after they beat Scotland 18-17.
