After England had been knocked out of the 2015 World Cup Eddie Jones, who was then in his final week in charge of Japan before joining the Stormers in South Africa, was asked what they should be looking for in a head coach. Experience was his reply, something that was vital to combat the pressure applied by the media, both traditional and social. Jones was given a flood of advice after the defeat to Scotland last Saturday, but he sailed serenely through it all, neither dropping his captain, Owen Farrell, nor giving fringe members of his squad an outing against the weakest team in the tournament. He was rewarded by a comfortable victory, although it had the feeling of a rehearsal for the tougher tasks ahead in Cardiff and at home to France. England scored six tries and, having failed to pass muster, never mind pass, against Scotland, four were finished by their back three. They conceded two after rare defensive breakdowns and they retained elements of the rust that had hampered them against Scotland, but this was about getting their title challenge back on course. The one downside was a knee injury to the replacement back-rower Jack Willis who scored a try a minute after coming on but was soon leaving the field on a buggy. A feature about Jones’s England is that they stick to their gameplan and eschew spontaneity. It makes them vulnerable when chasing a game, but despite conceding in the opening minutes here, there was never any doubt about who would win. England are neither exciting nor excitable. They do what they do and the longer the Six Nations goes on, the more efficient they will become. Scotland last week, a Scottish referee this, for the first time in the Six Nations for 19 years. One of Mike Adamson’s first acts was to penalise Courtney Lawes for a deliberate knock-on inside England’s half. Italy kicked to touch, David Sisi won the ball off the top and Italy launched a series of drives that culminated in Paolo Garbisi and Jacopo Trulla combining to free Monty Ioane who had a clear run to the line after Anthony Watson slipped. It was an unusually soft score for England to concede and came at the end of a week when the direction they were taking under Jones was not just questioned but ridiculed. It was not whether there would be a response against a side without a victory in the tournament for six years, but the nature of it: the bludgeon or the stiletto. There was a bit of both. England’s opening try came when most of the forwards had a go for the line after two penalties were taken quickly and Jonny Hill squeezed through a scrum of bodies and the second came when Watson stepped inside two defenders as hands were used to create space following a lineout. The third try, at the end of the opening half, followed another handling movement but was down to the athleticism of Jonny May who had spent the afternoon roaming the field in search of the ball having been a spectator seven days before. As the line beckoned, his opposite number, Luca Sperandio, covered across and shaped for the tackle. May vaulted over him and, as his legs swayed over the touchline, put the ball down an instant before landing. It was an exceptional try that gave England a 20-8 lead at the break. Italy had spent most of the half in defence after opening the scoring, a Garbisi penalty after Luke Cowan-Dickie infringed at a ruck, their only other contribution as the home side, without ever being more than functional, became increasingly dominant. Jones had ignored calls to drop Farrell, either as captain or a starter, and moved him to inside-centre to accommodate George Ford. He was thinking less of Italy, and more of the matches to come in Wales and Ireland with France at home in between as he charts his way through a season unlike any other. Rust was a factor against Scotland and there was little to be gained in resting players who needed time in the middle with next weekend free. May’s try inspired rather than deflated Italy who scored first in the second half through Garbisi’s penalty, although they should have had more after Ioane skipped away from Youngs on the left on his way into England’s 22. Farrell was spoken to by the referee after dealing with what he saw as an act of foul play and the England captain came under scrutiny after 50 minutes following Watson’s interception of Garbisi’s pass and 70-metre run to the line. The Italy scrum-half, Stephen Varney, was tackled late by Farrell in the build-up and Adamson was advised by the television match official, Joy Neville, to determine whether contact with the head had been made. Varney fell to the floor holding his face, but it was ruled the blow had been to his chest and the bonus-point try stood. There was an edge to the game with the forwards squaring up to each other more than once. Italy kept going, their spirit undimmed by their growing deficit, but Willis finished from close range and Elliot Daly completed the scoring in reply to Federico Mori breaking two tackles to set up Tommaso Allan for Italy’s second try. England did what they had to, but the Farrell question will remain, not just where his position should be but whether he should retain the captaincy with Maro Itoje the player who leads by example. Jones pointed out that in the last 20 minutes most of his players were under 26. Change will come, but in his own time.