Key events
26 mins. It appears Scotland have worked out that they don’t need all these fancy patterns in attack because the strategy of “fling it to Duhan” is consistently bringing territory as he clatters through tackles and offloads to runners off him. The latest version of this sets Kinghorn running behind but the ball is spilled forward near the Azzuri line.
PENALTY! Scotland 14 – 6 Italy (Tommaso Allan)
23 mins. The attacking patterns that brought Scotland so much joy early doors are not reaping as many rewards due to Brex reading them better and stepping out to shut them down. Another great defensive read from the centre catches Graham behind the tackle line and Scotland are penalised for sealing off the ruck as they scramble to secure possession.
Allan steps up again and slots one from distance.
PENALTY! Scotland 14 – 3 Italy (Tommaso Allan)
20 mins. Slowly, the visitors are getting a fingertip grip on this game and hauling themselves into it with more possession and some territory. The latest attack sees Scotland penalised in kickable range, so Allan calls for the tee and hammers it over from 40 metres out.
16 mins. Italy are trying to get something going in the Scotland half, but as Menoncello hits the ground Darge is in there like Bill Beaumont at the hospitality buffet to swipe the ball. The back row man is having some game so far.
14 mins. Short break in play while van der Merwe has his ankle strapped a bit – he’s up and seems fine. Some normality has commenced in play as both sides have a few phases in the middle third with not a great deal to report.
Scotland completely on top and this is mostly down to their very well drilled attacking shape and short dummy runners that are pulling the Azzuri defence all over the shop. Difficult to judge this Italian performance fully as they haven’t had any ball as yet.
TRY! Scotland 14 – 0 Italy (Huw Jones)
9 mins. The ball moves again to the left and van der Merwe, who looks like he will romp up the touchline in an attempt to outrun the defence, but he cuts back inside and floats a delicate pass to Huw Jones who has a free run to the line.
Another two points added by Russell.
7 mins. There’s a sniff of territory for Italy as they have a lineout near the Scotland 22, but the Nicotera throws in with all the composure of a dislodged gyroscope. Dave Cherry is first to the bouncing ball and it’s moved left for Kinghorn to have a run into the opposition half.
TRY! Scotland 7 – 0 Italy (Rory Darge)
4 mins. Italy inevitably drift offside under pressure from the Scottish attack and Russell puts it in the corner. Whenever you spurn points from the tee you’d better score a try and that exactly what happens after the ball is moved wide from the lineout before a short carry from the ruck has Darge forcing over the line.
Russell converts.
2 mins. A sensible gather and clear from Scotland on receiving the kick off has Italy in possession from a lineout. There’s some ponderous work in midfield that allows the home side to rob the ball and fire it left to van der Merwe who gets his gallop going to take the men in blue up to the Italian 22.
Kick-Off!
Tommaso Allan boots it high into the blue sky and we’re underway!
Win probability going in according to the internet:
Scotland 82%
Italy 17%
Draw 1%
Where the hell they getting that draw probability from? Mind you, Italy did share the spoils with France last year jn their match, lest we forget.
The teams are out, emerging into an absolutely glorious Edinburgh afternoon for a game of rugby. Princess Anne is in attendance for the glad-handing formalities which will take place before we kick off.
Pre match reading
It’s 25 years since the Six Nations was created, thus rendering Scotland Five Nations champions in perpetuity. Relive the 2000 tournament here with this brilliant collection of images and memories.
Teams
Sione Tuipolotu’s absence brings Stafford McDowall into the inside centre berth and hands the captaincy to both Finn Russell and Rory Darge (no I don’t get it either). Jonny Gray returns to lock after a near two-year absence from the squad.
Italy welcome Tommaso Allan back in the 15 shirt following his self-imposed break for fatigue and family reasons, moving Ange Capuozzo to the wing. In the forwards, Dino Lamb and Lorenzo Cannone return while Lorenao’s brother Niccolo and Exeter’s Ross Vintcent are on the bench.
Scotland: Blair Kinghorn, Darcy Graham, Huw Jones, Stafford McDowall, Duhan van der Merwe, Finn Russell, Ben White, Pierre Schoeman, Dave Cherry, Zander Fagerson, Jonny Gray, Grant Gilchrist, Jamie Ritchie, Rory Darge, Matt Fagerson.
Replacements: Ewan Ashman, Rory Sutherland, Will Hurd, Gregor Brown, Jack Dempsey, George Horne, Tom Jordan, Kyle Rowe.
Italy: Tommaso Allan; Ange Capuozzo, Juan Ignacio Brex, Tommaso Menoncello, Monty Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Martin Page-Relo; Danilo Fischetti, Giacomo Nicotera, Simone Ferrari; Dino Lamb, Federico Ruzza; Sebastian Negri (capt), Michele Lamaro, Lorenzo Cannone.
Replacements: Gianmarco Lucchesi, Luca Rizzoli, Marco Riccioni, Niccolò Cannone, Manuel Zuliani, Ross Vintcent, Alessandro Garbisi, Simone Gesi.
Give me a shout with all your thoughts via this very email. I welcome all submissions, but be warned I ignore the stroppy ones.
Preamble
Another Six Nations campaign begins for Scotland and Italy here at Murrayfield, with both teams perched on a higher ledge on the rockface of improvement that at any time in the recent past.
Gregor Townsend’s side are looking to move beyond the team that is pretty much the sporting manifestation of Sex Panther cologne: “60% of the time, it works every time”. Pushing into being in with a real shout of winning the whole thing come Super Saturday has to be the goal, as even with the loss of Sione Tuipulotu and a few others to injury this squad remains good enough to win the whole thing in this year of putatively less formidable opposition.
Italy had their best tournament in years in 2024. While the core of the squad that beat today’s opponents in Rome twelve months ago remains, they have since spluttered through a loss to Samoa, a hammering by Argentina and barely squeaked past Georgia among a litany of meh in the last nine months. Added to this is the wretched form of Benetton Treviso, the club side that makes up the vast majority of the national side. Gonzalo Quesada has worked some wonders with his team and his skills as a coach will be tested once more here. The playing talent is there, however.
You to fancy a broadly confident Scotland at home to get a good handgrip as a base to pull further up that climb to the top.
