Italy did give the Grand Slam chasers a considerable scare however and had Orquera converted McLean’s try and then hit the target with a subsequent penalty, Italy would have led 16-15 midway through the second half.

Instead, Flood was able to kick England clear of danger but Italy can take heart from their battling performance, rekindling the form that saw them defeat France at the start of the competition, rather than that which they produced in defeats to Scotland and Wales.

And Masi, who was named man of the match, has called for a similar performance in the final match of the campaign against Ireland in Rome next week.

“It was a very good performance from Italy,” said Masi, who plays for Wasps.

“We came from two poor games and here we played better rugby with much more aggression and physicality. We were quite happy to compete against England.

“Our goal is to compete against Ireland and why not try to beat them.

“It’s going to be a tough game [between England and Wales], but I think England are a bit more dangerous than Wales.”