England vs. Italy: 5 Key Battles That Will Shape 2015 Six Nations Clash

England will seek to use this Saturday's Week 2 fixture against Italy as a springboard, which could potentially propel them toward the summit of the Six Nations standings.

Stuart Lancaster's men are fresh after claiming a most impressive 21-16 win over Wales at the Millennium Stadium, while the Azzurri's prospects look as dim as ever in light of their 26-3 hammering at Irish hands.

Ahead of Saturday's collision, we examine which key battles will be responsible for deciding the tie as Italy look to lean on a few key individuals in particular in the hopes of staging a Twickenham upset.

1. Ben Youngs vs. Edoardo Gori

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Having been brought in from the international cold, Ben Youngs was evidently glad to be back under Lancaster's command last Friday, starring in a win that saw him rise as a man-of-the-match contender.

The second half in particular saw the Leicester Tigers playmaker unearth his best rhythm, providing the English back line with a steady foundation from which they could launch their attack.

Edoardo Gori has for the past several years offered Italy a similarly reliable outlet from the back of the scrum, but it's common knowledge his weapons aren't quite as great.

Even in the wake of such a great win, Youngs isn't getting ahead of himself, however. He was quoted by Sky Sports this week as saying:

"

This is round one. It's a great result and we are really pleased, but we will be straight back on it on Monday. We can't get ahead of ourselves. In 2013 we took a pasting in Cardiff when we probably got ahead of ourselves, so we have got to make sure that we learn from that and focus on one game at a time.

To come here and get the result we have been working hard for is really pleasing, so it's a great start. But Championships aren't won in the first round, it's about what you do afterwards that counts, so we have got to build on this.

"

If Youngs can put that fire in his belly into practice this Saturday, Gori will assuredly have a tough time in attempting to keep up, never mind assembling a foothold at Twickenham.

That being said, the Italian No. 9 has no choice but to persevere in his individual game. Youngs is sure to be a terrier-like bother to him at times, but without their scrum-half firing at his best, the Italians most likely don't stand a chance.

2. Billy Vunipola vs. Sergio Parisse

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It wouldn't have counted for anything more than a consolation in any case, but it was of little surprise to see that in the face of defeat, rain pelting down, Sergio Parisse was Italy's man still looking most dangerous last Saturday.

Against Ireland, the No. 8 was unfortunate to knock on just before what could have been a great try for Kelly Haimona, but it did show that the old script still remains and Parisse retains his role as the light in Italy's gloom.

However, England have a No. 8 beacon of their own, and Billy Vunipola was one of numerous mammoths under Lancaster's command to have a physically imperious day in Cardiff last week.

Vunipola may not know the same tricks of the trade that 31-year-old Parisse does, but in terms of sheer physicality, this makes for an epic head-to-head.

The area in which Parisse certainly trumps his opposite number will be in technical nous, something Vunipola simply doesn't boast in the same standard; the question is whether he even needs to.

3. George Ford vs. Kelly Haimona

New Zealand-born Haimona looks to have asserted his place as Jacques Brunel's go-to No. 10 these days, while the same might be said of George Ford and Lancaster since Owen Farrell picked up injury.

However, Tommaso Allan will like to think he's in contention to start this week after adding a little inspiration and security to the Azzurri's inside channel last time out.

The benefit of Haimona is that he can often be enigmatic and surprising in his work, but it can also land him in serious trouble when used at the wrong junctures.

Ford won man of the match for a superbly calm day's work of string-pulling against the Welsh and Italy promise to be far simpler prey against whom he can go about his business.

4. Joe Marler vs. Martin Castrogiovanni

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From a former Aviva Premiership scrum icon to one currently bossing the English division, Martin Castrogiovanni and Joe Marler will meet this Sunday in an enticing struggle for pack power.

A huge aspect of England's win against the Welsh was their ability to turn the screw come scrum time, but Castrogiovanni is an entirely different prospect to someone like Samson Lee.

The Italian tighthead will really test Harlequins star Marler and, more inclusively, the English pack as a whole. That's without mentioning the carrying impact that both he and Marler will look to display in the loose, bringing some sizeable frames to the line.

5. Luke McLean vs. Anthony Watson

Bath winger Anthony Watson really came into his own against the Welsh in what the Daily Mail's Sam Peters suggested was a coming of age; a deserved sentiment following the try-scoring display.

Watson didn't have many clear-cut chances at the line, but the one that Mike Brown constructed for him was expertly taken and the speedster will no doubt be looking to add to his tally.

On the other side of the field sits Test veteran Luke McLean, another who despite the defeat to Ireland managed to keep some standard of organisation and individually impressed at times.

Watson may be a devilishly efficient player in attack, but McLean can look upon the 20-year-old as a potentially susceptible target in defence this Saturday.

With centre Michele Campagnaro injured, however, Italy's fluidity through the backs is bound to be disrupted and McLean may have to come looking for possession if he's to have much of an influence at all.