Although the backs ran riot in the second half of their 41-14 defeat of Wales, they only breached the Italian defence once courtesy of Jonny May’s early score.

And the 20-year-old Hurrell admits England’s struggles against the Azzurri can serve as wake-up call for the rest of the Championship.

He said: "For my part I thought there was a lack of communication among the backs and we didn't really step up to the mark.

“We scored in the first few minutes and then maybe took our foot off the gas. It's a hard lesson for us.

"Italy were really good at keeping in there, kicked fairly well, but I think we can play better than that. It's good that it's happened now and not in the Junior World Championship.

"A win is a win and if it was a Guinness Premiership game you'd say it was a poor performance but the win was a positive thing. Now we need to up it in training and get better for the next game."