Italy 23-18 England: A historic defeat plunges Steve Borthwick’s team into a crisis

In the lead-up to the game, Borthwick urged his team to take a risk with their arm and throw another pass. But Italy looked smarter and more ambitious all the time.

A pair of clever kicks from fly-half Paolo Garbisi – the second, a well-weighted side push to free Ioani – set up the field position from which the fly-half kicked the first points of the match on 21 minutes.

An accurate long line throw and Earl’s rumble gave England the impetus to put Tommy Freeman in for his ninth Test try, although Smith pushed the kickable conversion wide and Italy lurked dangerously as England continued to show off.

Five minutes before half-time, Minoncello – Italy’s leading counter-taker, clean defender and most consistent defender so far in the tournament – made the threat come true.

The 23-year-old picked up a dazed Hayes on the verge of collapse and ran on to put Italy 10-5 ahead.

England recovered. Even if only for a short time.

A clever kick from Smith turned the play over to Tom Roebuck, and the Sale winger showed deft footwork to make the rush on the stroke of half-time.

A pair of penalties scored by Smith after the break increased England’s lead to 18-10 and England appeared to have turned the tide of the game, with both Underhill and Itoje digging deep in transitions.

However, with 25 minutes remaining and the game looking set, England were able to hand the initiative to Italy.

Underhill and Itoje watched wistfully from the sidelines as first Garbisi’s boot and then their backline shone on all pitches – Ioane stamping on Roebuck in a tiny piece of space, Minoncello advancing and Marin darting happily – snatching the contest out of their hands.

England found some late urgency while chasing the game in vain. Ollie Chisum created a hole in the Italian defence, but the scramble eliminated the danger.

England looked dazed, and at the end of the day, when the clock turned red, the ball died and the Olympic Stadium lit up and jumped around them.

Defeat to France in Paris next weekend would be only the third time in the 115-year history of the Five and Six Nations that England have lost four games in a season.