Italy player ratings vs England | 2026 Guinness Men's Six Nations

Italy player ratings: History has been made today, with the Azzurri finally taking down England. For the first time, the proud Mediterranean nation claimed a massive victory, finishing 23-18.

Tommaso Menoncello delivered an outstanding performance, and Danilo Fischetti, Paolo Garbisi, and Monty Ioane also contributed memorable displays.

1. Danilo Fischetti – 7
This has been the year of the loosehead props, as Fischetti produced a fine performance that had a bit of everything, from dominant shattering tackles to out-of-nowhere jackals. The Northampton Saints front-rower kept things going even when the Italian scrum caved in.

2. Giacomo Nicotera – 5
Tough gig for the Stade Français hooker. While he didn’t miss his mark in the lineout and bagged twelve successful tackles, the hooker was outmanoeuvred a few times and appeared worn out by the end of the first half. Things didn’t get any better in the second half, as Nicotera was sent to the sin bin after a childish action that gifted three easy points to England.

3. Simone Ferrari – 5
A strange game for the experienced prop, as he suffered quite a bit at the hands of Genge in most scrums but produced several good attacking and counter-defending moments to keep Italy in the game. Made a critical pass that helped Italy finally break through the English defence, leading to Tommaso Menoncello’s try.

4. Niccolò Cannone – 7.5
Imperial in the lineout, monstrous in the tackle and a valiant enforcer. Niccolò Cannone didn’t need to do anything fancy to enjoy a good evening, as his dedication to the Italian cause was formidable, coming to his side’s rescue as one of his team’s best assistant tacklers. However, sometimes that devotion went a bit too far, as the eldest Cannone was pinged twice, one of which ended with Fin Smith converting a penalty.

5. Andrea Zambonin – 7
While he was the first Italian to be subbed off (HIA), Zambonin can’t be heartbroken with his performance as the lock’s work was essential in preventing England from scoring two early tries, finding a way to thwart the opposition’s maul.

6. Michele Lamaro – 6
The Benetton enforcer appeared noticeably disengaged during today’s match against England, mirroring his performance from the previous week. Amassed just a few tackles, missing his mark three times and wasn’t capable of showing his best around the breakdown. However, his commitment to supporting his teammates and causing several problems in the English lineout didn’t go unnoticed.

7. Manuel Zuliani – 7
Pilfered the ball that led to Italy’s first points and was a menace for the English runners, always looking to throw a blockbuster tackle, wrapping up tonight’s clash with 16 successful tackles.

8. Lorenzo Cannone – 7.5
Dangerous when he carried the ball, Lorenzo Cannone was by some distance Italy’s prime ball carrier, crashing well against the tight English defence. The Azzurri No.8 made just one half-critical handling mistake in a performance that was vital in keeping the hosts in the game, especially when England were the dominant side on the pitch.

9. Alessandro Garbisi – 6
The youngest of the Garbisi siblings tried to inject speed and pace into the Italian backline but wasn’t able to string together more than a few phases when Italy seemed to be on the front foot. His jittery passing wasn’t helped by his teammates constantly going off plan, but the delayed pass for Menoncello’s try led to Italy celebrating their first finish of the game.

10. Paolo Garbisi – 7.5
After a cold first 20 minutes, Paolo Garbisi steadily got into the game, finding space in the backfield through his boot and guiding his team towards a memorable day for Italian rugby. While Italy’s approach to attack doesn’t always suit the fly-half’s abilities, he pieced together a performance that pushed Italy into the opposition’s try area.

11. Monty Ioane – 8.5
While that massive defensive lapse that ended with Tom Roebuck celebrating his first finish of the game could have told the whole story, the truth is that Ioane was as influential as Tommaso Menoncello. The winger was a handful for the English defence, escaping their grasp twice and setting up attacking plays that placed the Azzurri deep in opposition territory. Pure pace and extraordinary dynamism helped Italy claim a historic result.

12. Tommaso Menoncello – 9
A bit of Menoncello magic never hurt anyone, right? The elusive inside centre was a troublemaker for England, scoring a brutal try from a flat running line and putting his side in the lead with six minutes remaining. With three line breaks, eight defenders beaten and 90 metres gained, England were left shivering throughout the match. His vigour, self-belief and pure aggression kept Italy afloat, tying everything together.

13. Juan Ignacio Brex – 7
Saved Italy from conceding a try by performing a jackal 10 metres from his try line and was the perfect partner in crime to Menoncello, unleashing the centre pairing to sow chaos in the contact area. While his stats might not look great, his off-the-ball work was extraordinary.

14. Louis Lynagh – 7
A performance that seemed riddled with mistakes until the final twenty minutes. The Benetton winger arrived at the right time and, like a man possessed by an undying fire, was pivotal in turning the tide. Yes, he lost the aerial battle to the English, and yes, he made several missed tackles, but the way he regained his footing and came back into the game was remarkable.

15. Lorenzo Pani – 8
If not for how Pani reacted to his team’s tactical mistakes, Italy would not have come away as winners. The 23-year-old full-back put out several fires at the back, covering his teammates’ mistakes and preventing England from anchoring their game deep in Italian territory. His strategic and accurate kicking limited the English advances into the Italian in-goal area. Doesn’t need to do Capuozzo things to have the same impact as his teammate.

REPLACEMENTS

16. Tommaso di Bartolomeo – 7
Fifteen minutes on the pitch to help Italy make history, holding a clean lineout sheet when the dust had settled.

17. Mirco Spagnolo – 7
Mirco Spagnolo likes to make an entrance, throwing brutal tackles and contesting the ruck like it was the final game of his career.

18. Muhamed Hasa – 7.5
Massive entry to the fray. Kept a tidy lineout and gave the input that Italy needed.

19. Federico Ruzza – 6

20. Riccardo Favretto – N/A
Came on with just a few minutes remaining.

21. Alessandro Fusco – 7.5
Came on to steer Italy towards a memorable day. A better passer than Garbisi and helped bring more control to the attack.

22. Leonardo Marin – 7
A tackle that stopped England in their tracks and 20 running metres from the centre. Worked well with Menoncello to deliver a thumping result.

23. Tommaso Allan – N/A
Like Favretto, arrived too late to have a meaningful impact on the match.