Six Nations - England 59 Italy 13:Red-hot winger Chris Ashton scored four tries as England produced an eight-try demolition of Italy in a 59-13 victory at Twickenham to maintain their push for a first Six Nations title since 2003.

Ashton rewrote the record books as England stormed to their biggest victory over Italy in a decade.

The Northampton wing was named man of the match but he was supported by an outstanding team performance as England scored eight tries to destroy the Azzurri.

Mark Cueto broke an 18-Test try drought and Mike Tindall got in on the action as England romped into a 31-6 half-time lead.

Danny Care and James Haskell touched down after the interval to bring up a half century of points, the first time England have done that since 2007.

Ashton, who scored twice against Wales in England’s opening game last week, has already equalled the record of six tries in one Six Nations campaign that is currently held by Will Greenwood and Shane Williams.

The last England player to score four tries in a single championship match was Ronald Poulton against France in Paris 1914, in the final game before the first World War.

This was an Italy team that had come within moments of beating Ireland in Rome last week, an Azzurri side that England have found so hard to put away in recent years.

But Martin Johnson’s side are coming of age. Even by accident, England are uncovering players of Test quality. Tom Wood last week, Alex Corbisiero this.

The loss of Andrew Sheridan to a back injury on the eve of the match forced England to field the uncapped London Irish loosehead prop.

England boasted what was believed to be their youngest ever starting front row, but Corbisiero stood up to everything Martin Castrogiovanni and the gnarled Italian unit could throw at him.

With Italy unable to dominate the close exchanges and spoil, England were able to sweep forward in attack. At times their support running was supreme.

England were ahead inside three minutes. Ben Youngs ran from the back foot of the ruck to draw the cover defence and Flood surged through the gap before sending Ashton away for his first try.

After a dressing down from the England management, Ashton had promised there would be no repeat of the swallow dive celebration that accompanied his first try against Wales.

In the end he could resist, pointing to the skies as he streaked clear before launching himself under the posts. It was the perfect start for England.

Italy won a penalty from the restart and Mauro Bergamasco landed it, but the Azzurri were soon on the back foot again as Youngs and Toby Flood combined magnificently to cut them open.

It was only some desperate scramble defence from the ubiquitous Sergio Parisse to halt Tindall to give the Italians a temporary reprieve.

England kept the pressure on with Dylan Hartley and Haskell strong and direct in their running and Italy were eventually caught offside, gifting Flood the chance of a simple three points.

England tested the patience of referee Craig Joubert, with Shontayne Hape and Tom Wood penalised in quick succession for not releasing as Italy stayed in touch at 10-6.

But that was as close as the Azzurri came.

Flood broke clear again after taking a switch ball from Cueto and prop Dan Cole powered towards the corner. When England moved play right they had a two-man overlap but Easter’s pass was intercepted by Bergamasco.

But it was finger in the dam stuff and Italy had no answer to England’s driving maul, which Johnson has brought back into their game.

England drove forward 10 metres from a lineout on the edge of Italy’s 22 before Youngs sent the ball wide. Hape crashed through one tackle and then offloaded to Ashton, who was only a yard out but managed to pirouette away from Bergamasco and score his second try.

No elaborate celebrations this time but England had breached the dam.

Five minutes later Cueto finally broke his duck, appearing on Flood’s inside shoulder - running the line Ashton has made his own - to score after excellent build-up work from Hartley.

There was still time for England, showing great variety in their attacking game, to score a fourth before the interval.

From clean lineout ball, Nick Easter charged through the Italian line and slipped a deft offload out for Tindall to touch down and Flood’s conversion gave England a 31-6 lead at the interval.

Italy were a beaten team. Their body language said as much as they came out for the second half.

Within two minutes Castrogiovanni was in the sin-bin for slapping the ball out of Youngs’ hands in a desperate attempt to slow England’s possession.

Haskell showed flashes of his old self with a marauding run deep into Italy’s half and England scored on the back of it, with Matt Banahan crashing onto Flood’s pass.

The replacement centre was hauled down just short of the line but Ashton was on hand, as always, to complete his hat-trick from close range.

England’s forward power had the tired Azzurri on the rack and Danny Care, on for Youngs, scampered over from close range to score the sixth of the afternoon.

Italy mounted enough energy to drive Fabio Ongara over from close range but England hit back, with Haskell picking his way through the fractured Azzuri defence after good work from Care.

And Ashton rounded the victory off with another swan dive after Banahan launched the counter-attack from inside England’s own half.