England finished their preparations for the Rugby World Cup with a convincing 37-0 demolition of Italy to make it three wins from four warm-up games.
Ben Youngs, Joe Marchant, Ellis Genge and Anthony Watson all scored second-half tries to seal the victory in style, with Owen Farrell kicking 17 points including three first-half penalties in what was a uncharacteristically slow start from the hosts.
However, the second half saw England find their stride as they dominated Italy, who found themselves without a single chance of scoring after the break, though the victory was soured by injuries to Joe Launchbury, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Kyle Sinckler.
England fly to Japan on Sunday for a 10-day training camp in Miyazaki, before playing their first World Cup fixture against Tonga on 22 September. Re-live all the action below.
Welcome to The Independent's live coverage of England's final Rugby World Cup warm-up game against Italy, with the hosts set to take an international Test match away from Twickenham and to Newcastle's St James' Park for the first time.
With World Cup fever well and truly taking over, England embark on thei final preparations just 48 hours from their flight to Japan, where the important business will really kick in in the Land of the Rising Sun.
But before then, they have one last hurdle to negotiate in the form of Conor O'Shea's Italy side, who will be heading to Japan a day earlier than their opponents with their flight scheduled on Saturday.
Both teams have named experimental sides, meaning we should get a close look at some of the players who are looking to put their hand up for selection in Japan, and it will be a busy day of rugby union action with Scotland hosting Georgia the other side of the border in Edinburgh while South Africa have beaten Japan earlier this afternoon.
With kick-off scheduled at 8pm, we'll begin our full in-depth coverage about an hour before the match, but to whet the appetite a little here's a look at this evening's teams:
England: Anthony Watson; Ruaridh McConnochie, Joe Marchant, Piers Francis, Jonny May’ Owen Farrell, Ben Youngs; Joe Marler, Jamie George, Dan Cole; Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes; Tom Curry, Mark Wilson, Billy Vunipola.
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge, Kyle Sinckler, Charlie Ewels, Matt Kvesic, Willi Heinz, George Ford, Joe Cokanasiga.
Italy: Jayden Hayward; Mattia Bellini, Giulio Bisegni, Tommaso Benvenuti, Edoardo Padovani; Carlo Canna, Callum Braley; Nicola Quaglio, Oliviero Fabiani, Simone Ferrari; David Sisi, Dean Budd; Sebastian Negri, Abraham Steyn, Jimmy Tuivaiti.
Replacements: Federico Zani, Andrea Lovotti, Marco Riccioni, Federico Ruzza, Alessandro Zanni, Maxime Mbanda, Guglielmo Palazzani, Tommaso Allan.
We start this evening's coverage with some tragic news.
South Africa Rugby have confirmed the death of Rugby World Cup-winner Chester Williams, who has suffered a suspected heart attack at the age of 49.
Williams is one of the most iconic names in South African sport after uniting a nation during the 1995 Rugby World Cup, scoring four tries in the quarter-final against Samoa and being the only non-white member of the Springboks squad.
Such was the respect that Williams was held in, a number of teams have posted messages of condolence following the sad news:
The teams are in and confirmed, and for the first time this campaign we can say yhere are no changes for England ahead of kick-off:
England: Anthony Watson; Ruaridh McConnochie, Joe Marchant, Piers Francis, Jonny May’ Owen Farrell, Ben Youngs; Joe Marler, Jamie George, Dan Cole; Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes; Tom Curry, Mark Wilson, Billy Vunipola.
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge, Kyle Sinckler, Charlie Ewels, Matt Kvesic, Willi Heinz, George Ford, Joe Cokanasiga.
Italy: Jayden Hayward; Mattia Bellini, Giulio Bisegni, Tommaso Benvenuti, Edoardo Padovani; Carlo Canna, Callum Braley; Nicola Quaglio, Oliviero Fabiani, Simone Ferrari; David Sisi, Dean Budd; Sebastian Negri, Abraham Steyn, Jimmy Tuivaiti.
Replacements: Federico Zani, Andrea Lovotti, Marco Riccioni, Federico Ruzza, Alessandro Zanni, Maxime Mbanda, Guglielmo Palazzani, Tommaso Allan.As the teams are read out, the biggest cheer goes to home hero Mark Wilson.
The flanker has left Newcastle Falcons to join Sale Sharks on loan following their relegation from the Premiership last season, although due to his England commitments he won't feature for his new club until the end of the year.
However, he very much represents the never-say-die Geordie attitude that has seen the Falcons battle away for international recognition, and in the talented flanker they certainly have the ideal representative.
The warm-ups are done and dusted and the teams head off back into the dressing rooms, although there's a strange moment as Eddie Jones walks off the field and bumps into George Kruis - who of course is not in the matchdy squad today - and greets him like long lost friends. Given they've spent the last few months together, you wonder how they've gone all day without seeing each other...
Anyway, we're about 10 minutes away from kick-off for what will be England's final hit-out before the Rugby World Cup. Of course in the grand scheme of things the result doesn't mean a great deal, but England have never lost to Italy in their history and a defeat this evening would certainly come as a setback given the headlines that would accompany the departure for Japan on Sunday.
The prediction? You have to back a comfortable England win, but you never know what Italy will have up their sleeve.
And here come the players! In front of what is close to, if not a full house, it's England vs Italy!
Time for the anthems.
In unfamiliar surroundings, England belt out the national anthem and it gets a raucous reception from the crowd. It's time to get the final warm-up game of the summer programme underway, and with England in their alternative stip for the first time, they'll be kitted out in red and blue. Here we go!
KICK-OFF: ITALY GET THE MATCH UNDERWAY!
1 mins: Vunipola takles the kick-off and Youngs is happy to keep the ball live with his box-kick not aimed for touch. The scrum-half came in for plenty of criticism despite the landslide victory over Ireland last time, so we'll play close attention to how he goes today.
Italy don't make a good start at all really, and three early errors sees the ball knocked on and England with the put-in.
3 mins: Hayward is nearly undone by the bounce and May takes Youngs' box-kick first, but the Italian full-back recovers to make the try-saving tackle. England attack right and quickly through Watson after Italy turned the ball over and kicked clear, but as he is tackled Canna goes well off his feet and that's an obvious penalty to England.
Farrell will go for goal.
5 mins: Farrell's effort is good and England lead! 3-0
7 mins: England try to go quickly from a deep penalty as Youngs taps and goes, and he goes right through George to Watson. Again the Bath full-back is shackled before he can break away, and as England come back left Italy are able to get over the ball and turn ot over, before England give away a penalty for going off the feet and Italy clear.
10 mins: Canna breaks free! Neat play puts the fly-half through a gap and Padovani takes it on to within five metres of the line. Watson does well to stop the attack and England have their defensive line sorted, and the big tackle comes in from Tom Curry to push Italy back. Cole tries to come through the ruck and it disrupts the ball heavily, slowing it down, and when Italy try to go wide they don't have the numbers there to do anything with possession. They come back right and good footwork from Bisegni gives Benvenuti some space out wide, and his own sidestep gives him a chance to beat May and go for the line - only for the England wing to rip the ball from his grasp as he goes to ground it.
A huge let-off for England.
13 mins: England get the pressure-relieving penalty at the scrum as Italy collapse, and Farrell is able to kick to touch on a tight angle to about 30m out.
16 mins: McConnochie takes a lovely catch off a Braley box-kick and it gets England onto the front foot. Farrell comes wide to Francis, who floats a miss-pass out to May, and the wing cuts in and breaks the first two tackles before offloading to George and then Watson, England reset and Wilson breaks through the middle, but as Farrell tries to play a short pop to Vunipola he only succeeds in putting it into the hands of Benvenuti, and Hayward is able to send a long clearing kick into touch on the England 10m line.
A few running repairs are needed as Marler is slow to his feet and Hayward gets treatment.
18 mins: May does well to take a high kick from Youngs, and when England win an offside penalty advantage, Farrell puts another high kick up for the wing to compete for. I say compete, but he faces no challenge whatsoever as Italy simply let May have it, and when he's wrapped up afterwards referee Ben O'Keefe comes back for the penalty.
Farrell will go for goal again.
20 mins: Farrell makes no mistake with the kick and he doubles the lead for the hosts. 6-0
23 mins: Farrell tries a no-look offload to Youngs on the wraparound, but he misses the target and Youngs knocks the ball on into Italian hands. Italy try to counter, and come up with nothing as the ball is spilt immediately, so we come back for the scrum in centre-field near halfway.
25 mins: Italy nearly catch England out with Farrell and Francis out defending on the wing. The former allows a high cross-field kick to bounce, but it falls kindly for the latter and he commits Bellini before offloading to Farrell. The captain tries to chip down the line, but puts the ball straight into touch and lets out a scream in frustration as a result.
When is it?
England vs Italy takes place at St James’ Park on Friday 6 September.
What time does it start?
The match kicks off at 7:45pm.
Where can I watch it?
The Test will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action from 7pm. Highlights will be shown on BBC One at 11:05pm and at 11am on Saturday on BBC Two.
Teams
England: Anthony Watson; Ruaridh McConnochie, Joe Marchant, Piers Francis, Jonny May’ Owen Farrell, Ben Youngs; Joe Marler, Jamie George, Dan Cole; Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes; Tom Curry, Mark Wilson, Billy Vunipola.
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Ellis Genge, Kyle Sinckler, Charlie Ewels, Matt Kvesic, Willi Heinz, George Ford, Joe Cokanasiga.
Italy: Jayden Hayward; Mattia Bellini, Giulio Bisegni, Tommaso Benvenuti, Edoardo Padovani; Carlo Canna, Callum Braley; Nicola Quaglio, Oliviero Fabiani, Simone Ferrari; David Sisi, Dean Budd; Sebastian Negri, Abraham Steyn, Jimmy Tuivaiti.
Replacements: Federico Zani, Andrea Lovotti, Marco Riccioni, Federico Ruzza, Alessandro Zanni, Maxime Mbanda, Guglielmo Palazzani, Tommaso Allan.
Odds
England to win: 1/41
Italy to win: 50/1
Draw: 100/1
Prediction
England by 18: Even though it is a warm-up match, England have shown genuine desire to get as much as possible out of these matches, and Friday night should be no different. For a number of players, this will be their final chance to push for a place in the best XV before the World Cup, and it is an opportunity not to be wasted.
