England centurion revels in 'memory that will last a lifetime' after commanding Italy win

Jamie George says walking out for his 100th England cap during their victory over Italy was "a memory that will last a lifetime".

Steve Borthwick's side kept their Six Nations championship hopes alive with a 47-24 bonus-point win at Allianz Stadium, which moved them within a point of leaders France.

England were locked at 14-14 with their stubborn opponents during the first half, as tries from Tom Willis and Tommy Freeman were cancelled out by Ange Capuozzo and Ross Vintcent.

However the hosts then went through the gears, with Ollie Sleightholme crossing twice, while Marcus Smith, Tom Curry and Ben Earl also went over to secure the bonus point.

England will claim their first Six Nations title in five years with victory over bottom side Wales in Cardiff next weekend, should France fail to beat Scotland.

It was the ideal way to mark a landmark day for George, who returned to the starting XV to become his nation's seventh centurion.

"It was so special and a memory that will last a lifetime," the hooker said. "I am so grateful for everyone in the team, my family and friends.

"Generally, we felt in control. We didn't feel panicked at any stage and knew what needed to be done. We knew we had to take control of the ball a little bit more.

"We were happy with our intent to get our attacking game going. It wasn’t perfect, by any means, but our intent to move the ball and get bums off seats is what we were trying to do. To come away with a result like that is hugely important."

On the final game against Wales, he added: "It will be their World Cup final, and we are going there to win the tournament."

Despite an early injury to Ollie Lawrence, Borthwick was pleased by how England adapted to the subsequent tactical reshuffle and "accelerated the scoreline".

"The injury to Ollie resulted in an reorganisation of the backline, but I thought the players managed that really well," the head coach said.

"The way the team accelerated the scoreline was really good. This Italian side is really well-coached and their battle at the breakdown is fierce. When we got the quick ball and the contact area right, we took our opportunities.

"The team is progressing and developing. It is a young side and it adapted really well."