Dallan runs into Thompson (Getty Images)

By Andrew Baldock, PA Sport, Rome

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Jason Robinson ran in a hat-trick of tries as England proved there is life after Martin Johnson and without Jonny Wilkinson with what amounted to a stroll in the park at the Stadio Flaminio.

It was business as usual for the world champions as they got their RBS Six Nations challenge under way in routine fashion with seven tries.

Iain Balshaw, Josh Lewsey and Paul Grayson also notched touchdowns. And Sale's Chris Jones weighed in with a three-yard spectacular to mark his debut after coming on for Joe Worsley as England staked their claim for back-to-back Grand Slams.

But it was the 20 points of Grayson, who scored three penalties and three conversions to go with his try, as Wilkinson's understudy which will have delighted England head coach Clive Woodward the most, plus the performance of Robinson who lit up this quaint stadium with his bewitching talents in his first international at outside centre.

The Sale star deservedly won the man-of-the-match award, though England's talented threequarters never quite hit top gear against a spirited Italian defence. They did as much as was required, however, and there was clearly plenty to spare.

For Lawrence Dallaglio, meanwhile, it was the perfect start to his second coming as England captain. Dallaglio's previous incarnation as skipper had ended amid drug allegations, always strenuously denied, following defeat against Wales in 1999 - the match at Wembley notable for some dodgy captaincy decisions.

No such pressure was exerted as the man once eligible to play for the Azzurri through his Italian father completed his renaissance.

Some minor problems in the line-out, where Danny Grewcock struggled to fill the void left by the retired Johnson, will have given Woodward food for thought.

But 50 points away from home against a side which will certainly pose problems for the likes of Scotland and Wales is no mean feat.

As it was Grayson was on the scoreboard with a penalty inside the first minute following an inventive kick-off followed by a chase and enterprising flip-back from Worsley.

Italy's response was physical and impressive, good pressure paying off with an opportunistic drop goal after six minutes from fly-half Rima Wakarua. For 15 minutes or so England looked distinctly uncomfortable as they tried to shake off the flakes of rust which had gathered since their World Cup triumph.

But with so much pace in England's back division it was only a matter of time before the blue shirts were parted and when Balshaw scythed through the Italian defence after 16 minutes he proved just why Woodward has been desperate to accommodate him in the side.

For all the elegance and grace of that touchdown the next was pure poetry.

Clearly no-one had told Wakarua that the last man to kick to in an a white shirt is Robinson. His kick was nowhere near high or long enough and when Robinson set off deep in his own half the outcome appeared inevitable.

So it was, Robinson swapping passes with Lewsey before rounding Wakarua with a bewildering shimmer of the hips.

Still, with Wakarua slotting a couple of penalties and Italy particularly competitive in the line-out it was by no means the one-way traffic many had feared with England going in at the interval enjoying a 26-9 lead after Robinson had crossed for his second touchdown, with the help of a pass from the unselfish Cohen.

In truth, Italy began the second half the better side and but for more composure with the final pass could easily have breached the England defence, full-back Andrea Masi and number eight Sergio Parisse going close and scrum-half Paul Griffen making one surging break.

At this level, however, composure under fire is everything.

After 54 minutes England reintroduced Henry Paul, the former Wigan and Bradford rugby league star now plying his trade at Gloucester, to international rugby at the expense of Robinson, who in turn returned to replace Balshaw.

Simon Shaw also replaced Grewcock as Woodward ran through all seven of his replacement permutations.

It was scrum-half Andy Gomarsall, though, who supplied the ammunition for Lewsey to knife through for a try which killed off the Italians, though another Robinson special was still to come.

This time Greenwood was the provider, performing miracles out wide before flipping a basketball pass to the Sale star who scampered in for his hat-trick.

At 38-9 the game was effectively over but Jones will remember the rest of the match with fondness after the Sale forward came on for his first cap.

Grayson then chipped forward to collect his own kick, via a fumble from Griffen, to score perhaps the easiest try of his career.

The conversion notched his 20th point of the afternoon, after which he gave way for Olly Barkley, but it was a timely reminder that Wilkinson is not the only fly-half in town Jason Leonard also made his obligatory cameo appearance to earn his 114th cap in the final minutes.

It was hardly spectacular but it was a job efficiently done and the challenge now is for a back-to-back England Grand Slam.

Such a feat has been achieved just twice since the war, by England in 1991-92 followed by France in 1997-98 and never since the Five Nations became Six.

That is the measure of the difficulty and with three away matches this season England would have to do it the hardest way.

But with Grayson and Robinson in this form it is a brave man who would bet against it.

Teams

Italy: Masi, Mazzucato, Stoica, M. Dallan, D. Dallan, Wakarua, Griffen, Lo Cicero, Ongaro, Castrogiovanni, Dellape, Bortolami, De Rossi, Persico, Parisse.

Replacements: Bergamasco for Mazzucato (49), De Marigny for M. Dallan (74), Festuccia for Ongaro (65), Perugini for Castrogiovanni (71), Checchinato for Dellape (65), Orlando for Persico (71).

Not Used: Picone.

Pens: Wakarua 2.

Drop Goals: Wakarua.

England: Balshaw, Lewsey, Greenwood, Robinson, Cohen, Grayson, Gomarsall, Woodman, Thompson, Vickery, Grewcock, Kay, Worsley, Hill, Dallaglio.

Replacements: Paul for Balshaw (60), Barkley for Grayson (74), Dawson for Gomarsall (66), Regan for Thompson (70), Leonard for Vickery (74), Shaw for Grewcock (60), Jones for Worsley (66).

Tries: Balshaw, Robinson 3, Lewsey, Grayson, Jones.

Cons: Grayson 3.

Pens: Grayson 3.

Att: 28,500

Ref: Andy Turner (South Africa).