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Lynagh (7'), Menoncello (13')
Tries
Dempsey (23'), Horne (66')
Garbisi (14')
Conversions
Russell (24')
Garbisi (34', 48')
Penalties
Russell (46')
Scotland’s Guinness Men’s Six Nations campaign is already off the rails after they slumped to an 18-15 defeat to Italy in a rain drenched Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Hopes were high that Gregor Townsend’s team would use victory in the Eternal City as the springboard to make their mark in the competition and put disappointing defeats to New Zealand and Argentina in November behind them.
Instead, they were outfought and outthought by an Azzurri side that took an early grip on proceedings, grabbed points where they could, and then fought tooth and nail to hold on to their advantage.
Here’s how ATR saw another frustrating afternoon for Scottish fans…
Plan B?
For 20 minutes it was a fine spring day in the Championship’s southernmost city with conditions to keep the ball in hand, just as Scotland like, albeit it was Italy who struck twice in that period.
Then the heavens opened, and Scotland….kept playing their same style. Highly laudable, but there are times when conditions call for the ball to go as far away from your half as quickly as possible, and on Saturday they were the conditions.
Italy adapted, Scotland didn’t. Eight of the top 10 carriers came from Scotland, and while the halfbacks kicked a similar amount, Italy’s back three kicked far more than their opposite numbers. The determination to keep the ball in hand is admirable, but when it finishes with nine of the leading 10 tacklers coming from the winning team, it shows that it wasn’t the right course.
Forward Wobbles
If Scotland want to play their open style, the one thing they need is a strong forward platform, and they certainly didn’t have that.
Just ask starting hooker Ewan Ashman, who endured a horror show and missed five lineout throws in a row at one stage. Or his replacement, George Turner, who was yellow carded which left tighthead prop Zander Fagerson to throw in.
They won 74 percent of their throws, and 83 percent of their scrums, with Pierre Schoemann struggling against Player of the Match Simone Ferrari. They also laboured at restarts and won only 75 percent of them. With those numbers, it is a wonder they finished as close as they did.
No Control
Despite their wobbles, somehow, they were in contention at the end. Over 28 carries they worked their way into the Italy 22, then on the 29th Max Williamson carried on his own into a posse of blue-shirted defenders.
All on his own, like a spurned lover at the Spanish Steps looking around for a friendly face, he was swarmed on by Italian defenders, who held him up long enough that Ben O’Keefe blew the final when the maul went down.
It was a moment that called for cool heads, but where were they? No one to help Williamson, no-one to take a breath and organise the attack. Just more hot-headed individualism that was easily swatted aside by a better organised side.
Calcutta Cup Relief?
If Scotland are hoping for any relief next weekend, then they are unlikely to find it despite being back home at Murrayfield to face England. Townsend’s outfit have had England’s number in recent years, but this is an England team with options galore, 12 wins behind them, and confidence sky high, way above Scotland’s.
Sure, no one stirs the Scottish soul like England, but has Townsend played his emotional card already? After he was asked about a future job at Newcastle Red Bulls, he responded with this pithy reply.
“It’s pure speculation,” he said. “I’ve not signed a contract beyond the World Cup with anybody. It’s a story that I think has been put out there to try to disrupt before this week’s game (against Italy) or next week’s game against England.”
As a way to push buttons, it was lazy and unoriginal, and he will need a new way to rouse his team after that familiar feeling of anticlimax in Rome.
Player Ratings
15 Tom Jordan 5, 14 Kyle Steyn 4, 13 Huw Jones 5, 12 Sione Tuipulotu 5, 11 Jamie Dobie 4, 10 Finn Russell 5, 9 Ben White 5, 8 Jack Dempsey 7, 7 Rory Darge 8, 6 Matt Fagerson 6, 5 Grant Gilchrist 4, 4 Scott Cummings 4, 3 Zander Fagerson 6, 2 Ewan Ashman, 4, 1 Pierre Schoeman
Reserves: George Turner 4, Nathan McBeth 5, Elliot Millar-Mills 6, Max Williamson 6, Gregor Brown 6, George Horne 7
