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England player ratings vs Italy | 2026 Guinness Six Nations
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Even Russell Crowe is talking about this crazy Six Nations weekend
By Ian Cameron
Italy’s stunning 23-18 victory over England in Rome has reverberated far beyond the rugby world, with even Hollywood star Russell Crowe weighing in on the historic result.
The Azzurri produced one of the most memorable performances in their Guinness Six Nations history to secure a first-ever win over England, ending a run of 31 straight defeats in the fixture dating back to 1992.
England looked to be in control for long spells at the Stadio Olimpico. Steve Borthwick’s side built an 18-10 lead through tries from Tommy Freeman and Tom Roebuck, while Fin Smith added points from the tee.
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But the momentum swung sharply in the third quarter. Paolo Garbisi landed two penalties to haul Italy back into contention before the hosts struck decisively while Sam Underhill and Maro Itoje were both in the sin-bin. Leonardo Marin finished a thrilling move down the left touchline to seal a result that sends England into the final round facing the prospect of their worst Six Nations finish.
The upset also caught the attention of Crowe, who took to social media to salute the hosts.
While far better known for his love of rugby league through his long association with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Crowe has occasionally dipped a toe into rugby union conversation over the years. During the 2015 Rugby World Cup he notably tweeted his support for Sam Burgess, the Rabbitohs star who switched codes to represent England at the tournament.
Following Italy’s win in Rome, the Oscar-winning actor posted on X: “Bellissima vittoria per gli azzurri. Che stagione sta vivendo l’Italia. Next week… everything to play for.”
Translated, the Italian reads: “Beautiful victory for the Azzurri. What a season Italy are having.”
The location of the result also added a neat piece of symmetry. Crowe famously portrayed Maximus in the 2000 epic Gladiator, much of which is, of course, set in ancient Rome, the same city where Italy delivered one of the great nights in their rugby history at their very own modern day collisuem, the Stadio Olimpico.
