England vs. Italy: Winners and Losers from 2015 Six Nations Clash

England took the Six Nations summit as their own on Saturday thanks to a 47-17 demolition of Italy, impressing upon their return to Twickenham and boosting their title chances in a big way.

Italy initially put up a fight in London but ultimately crumbled under the weight of their tormentors, conceding 32 points in the second period to eradicate the positives shown by their quick start.

However, Jacques Brunel will take the slightest comfort in those small positives, while both teams have their share of good and bad lessons to take from their Round 2 clash.

Winner: Early Setback Coaxes the Best out of Twickenham Hosts

One hallmark of championship-winning teams is the ability to respond well to adversity, and after Sergio Parisse shocked Twickenham with an early opening try on Saturday, that's precisely what England came up against.

Heading into Saturday's tie, England were in high spirits and heavily tipped to triumph over the Azzurri following such a strong Week 1 display at the Millennium Stadium, but complacency can plague even the most professional minds.

By half-time, tries from Billy Vunipola and Jonathan Joseph led England to a decent enough 15-5 lead, but their assault really gathered pace in the second period.

Other sides may have retreated, but Stuart Lancaster will be overjoyed to see his squad is filled with players of sound enough mind to fight against such struggles and ultimately come up with the goods.

Not only that, but England also earned their win in style on Saturday, where the back line went through another hugely encouraging stage of its evolution in terms of expressing its fullest potential.

Loser: England's Slow Start Is a Crime Better Teams Won't Forgive

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That being said, the aforementioned evolution is something that was only allowed to happen by the mere fact that Italy are the worst team in this competition.

Had Ireland or France been permitted the same chances the Azzurri were in the opening quarter of Saturday's tie, England may have found themselves staring at a deficit too great to come back from.

At times, Luca Morisi and Andrea Masi found it far too easy to make yards through the centres and down the wings, while Luke McLean and Parisse also troubled England's defenders.

Starting slowly is something Lancaster's side simply can't afford when it travels to the Aviva Stadium in a fortnight's time, with Ireland likely to punish it all the more severely should that be the case.

Winner: Azzurri Initiative Proves Brunel's Men Can Be a Threat

It may be clutching at straws to infer Italy are going to be taking titles back to Rome any time soon, but at the very least, the opening 20 minutes at Twickenham showcased a more competent and capable Italian team.

It's a similar story for the Azzurri in a lot of ways—a team that has grown so accustomed to shining for patches but ultimately falling short of full performances, just as was the case during last Saturday's 26-3 loss to Ireland.

Parisse's try was a well-worked piece of play, however, displaying sound technical ability and the not-so-surprising individual talents of one No. 8 in particular.

The visitors did well to disrupt Dylan Hartley's lineout in order to create their chance at all, and some of the defensive graft was typically strong for a team that doesn't always rely heavily on possession.

What's more, a late surge in energy, while futile, resulted in Morisi crossing over for his second of the day and, more than anything, showed there is huge mental resolve among Brunel's ranks.

Loser: Italian Stamina Far from Stallion Standard

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Despite Morisi's 78th-minute score, Italy were condemned to a 30-point defeat at Twickenham that can be largely attributed to a 14-minute collapse, where England went over for four tries in quick succession.

The Azzurri leaked 29 of the 32 second-half points they conceded between the 54th and 68th minutes, where England could honestly have clinched more were it not for their slight easing off the gas pedal.

As touched upon in the previous slide, Italy did so well to threaten early on at Twickenham, but stretching that threat over the course of 80 minutes is what's always proved problematic for the Six Nations minnows.

The back line in particular, while offensively efficient for periods, really let its guard down during the second half, allowing wave after wave of English probing to make streams through its borders.

It may be time that one or two (or four) among this ageing Azzurri squad call it a day to make room for younger legs, too, with fitness levels evidently slipping for some of the more seasoned veterans.

Winner: Jonathan Joseph's Star Reaches New Heights

George Ford may have been string-puller in prime once again on Saturday, but there was no looking past Jonathan Joseph's two tries when deciding who should be elected man of the match.

Starting in the outside-centre slot, Joseph's second score in particular—a 60-metre run-in entirely of his own design—showcased exactly what a superstar edge he may bring to an England team that's long sought it.

The Guardian's Michael Aylwin even noted in his post-match comments the similarities between Joseph and former England phenomenon Jeremy Guscott, saying:

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Now he has three tries from his first two Six Nations games, thriving in tandem with a playmaker like George Ford in a manner reminiscent of Guscott outside Stuart Barnes in that great Bath team of the 80s and 90s.

Italy are no one’s idea of the Springboks as a defensive proposition, but Joseph’s first try here was every bit the gliding outside break we so cherished of Guscott. Leonarto Sarto, one of Italy’s most promising wings, was left floundering in his wake.

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As Aylwin attests, nobody will base their assertions of Joseph's ability solely on two tries against Italy, but a great performance against a not-so-great team is a great performance nonetheless.

As long as Manu Tuilagi struggles to achieve long-term fitness, England need another dazzling enigma capable of inspiring with these kinds of runs from deep, with Joseph showing on Saturday he can most certainly be that figure.