Match report from Rome
So, Scotland finish with three wins and an important success on the road, and can take positives from how they ground it out. A last-gasp win was not what they expected, and that’s a credit to Italy, who delivered their best Six Nations performance in recent memory. Desperate for them that it ended in defeat. But at least they got a bonus point, right guys?
I’m heading over to England v Ireland now. I do hope you’ll join me:
Full time: Italy 27-29 Scotland
Ali Price sends a clearing kick high into the air, but it loops into touch, and Scotland have denied Italy a huge upset after an absolute thriller!
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79 mins: Italy get the ball back from kick-off, but Braam Steyn spills it forward. Scotland have 30 seconds to see this out...
Italy 27-29 Scotland (Laidlaw penalty)
It looked like it could have hooked wide left, but Laidlaw never looked worried - the ball clips inside the post, and Scotland may have escaped here!
78 mins: Penalty advantage as Italy collapse the maul, and Laidlaw will kick for goal, 37m out and from a tight angle.
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77 mins: Three years since their last Six Nations win, five years since they last won in this stadium. Can Italy hang on? Scotland win a line-out, and once again turn to their pack to push forward...
Italy 27-26 Scotland (Allan penalty)
It’s on target - and carries between the posts. This is on now! Four minutes to play...
74 mins: Italy have a penalty, Jonny Gray trapped by Negri and unable to roll away. Tommaso Allan will go for the posts, from 40m...
73 mins: Italy are clearly struggling physically, exhausted by their first-half efforts. Carlo Canna comes on for Tommaso Castello. Two No10s on, with the hosts a penalty or drop-goal from victory.
TRY! Italy 24-26 Scotland (Hogg)
Scotland wait patiently and Stuart Hogg finds the gap, feinting to offload out wide and cutting inside Negri to score. Laidlaw nails the tricky conversion, and Scotland lead!
70 mins: Scotland win the lineout and begin a slow, relentless rolling maul that almost creeps all the way over. Italy eventually get bodies back, but Scotland are well within five metres...
68 mins: An unforced error from Parisse allows Scotland to kick downfield...
65 mins: Italy have the scrum after a Barclay knock-on. Another score, if they find it somehow, would probably do it. For Scotland, Worcester’s David Denton comes on to bolster the pack.
66 mins: Finn Russell won’t be able to return after suffering that head injury. Jake Polledri comes off after a fantastic debut, making 11 carries and setting up a try. Marcello Violi is also replaced; Giovanni Licata and Giuglielmo Palazzani come on.
64 mins: Italy starting to feel it now, the clock moving ever slower for them. Scotland have done a good job of slowly applying the pressure, and are currently wearing Italy down in midfield.
TRY! Italy 24-19 Scotland (Maitland)
Scotland win the lineout and they grind to the try line, earning a penalty advantage. Laidlaw launches a shot-to-nothing pass out to the right wing, which Sean Maitland collects, before sidestepping and going over. Laidlaw converts from a tight angle.
59 mins: Another Italy penalty, this time for not rolling away, and the hosts make a change. Tiziano Pasquali replaces Simone Ferrari, who was running on fumes.
57 mins: Scotland finally move downfield as a penalty is kicked to the corner. The visitors win the lineout, and battle to within 5m of the Italian line. Italy called offside, and Hogg taps into touch, keeping the pressure on...
55 mins: Scotland’s replacement forwards have steadied things, but they’re struggling to get forward and find space for Hogg to use. Russell is hit hard in midfield, and will have to be replaced. Ali Price comes on, with Laidlaw moving to fly-half.
52 mins: Richie Gray and Peter Horne come on for Scotland, replacing Jones and Swinson, while Braam Steyn replaces Zanni for Italy.
50 mins: Polledri and Parisse are causing Scotland so many problems, carrying momentum into tackles and using the ball smartly. Finn Russell may have got a fingernail to the ball and knocked on, but Scotland have a scrum 5m from their own line.
48 mins: Italy may not be able to keep this pace up for another half-hour - and they concede as many points in the final 20 minutes as the first hour - but Scotland need to keep them in sight here. Stuart McInally is coming on for Fraser Brown.
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It started with a sloppy turnover from Scotland in midfield, but was created by Polledri, a part-time college player just a year ago. He barrels through the tackles and offloads smartly to Tommaso Allan, who races away! Allan converts - Italy 24-12 Scotland.
TRY! Italy 22-12 Scotland (Allan)
Not to worry - Italy have their third try after a blistering break down the middle!
42 mins: Italy start this second half as they ended the first, bursting forward before Parisse offloads at speed. Negri bursts through and goes under the posts - but after checking with the TMO, a knock-on is awarded. Ooh, that’s harsh on Italy...
Second half
Are Italy about to end their 16-game losing streak in the Six Nations? Changes for Scotland: Jamie Bhatti and Zander Ferguson replace Nel and Reid.
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“What has happened to Scotland?” wonders Alan Cruickshanks. Italy have surpassed expectations so far but Scotland have been sluggish. They need to find a way to win or you can consider their credentials compromised.
Half time: Italy 17-12 Scotland
The Scottish defence holds firm, and turns over the ball. How crucial might that prove to be? Italy still lead at the half after a terrific attacking display.
42 mins: Italy barrel through five phases in the blink of an eye, the forwards bulldozing holes when the backs run out of room. They work it to the right flank, less than 5m out...
40 mins: Scotland launch a final foray into the Italian half but the home defence stays square and solid, and win a penalty as Scotland hang onto the ball. Allan kicks downfield, and it’s Italy who have the final chance of the first half...
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38 mins: Italy rally with half-time approaching, flinging the ball around nicely again, before a clearing kick rebounds into danger. Scotland get a penalty and a reprieve. If Italy had started like this against a terrified France in Marseille, they may well have won the match.
36 mins: Russell chips and charges into the path of Violi, who does what you or I probably would and ducks the tackle, trying to flick the ball away with his boot. He gets away with it, play stopped for a knock-on.
35 mins: Russell, chased down throughout by the Italian forwards, is stopped short of the line, but Scotland are within a couple of metres. Polledri makes a big intervention, and Scotland are penalised for not releasing the ball. Italy celebrate that like a try.
32 mins: Scottish penalty in midfield, kicked to the corner. Brown delivers a textbook long lineout ball, and Scotland will try to batter their way over...
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30 mins: Italy standing firmer in defence this time, and Scotland end up edging backwards. Scotland work through the phases outside the Italy 22, but just as they make progress, Maitland knocks on and Allan can clear it away.
28 mins: Grigg finds a pocket of space to spark an attack, and Jones’ grubber kick is forced into touch. Scottish lineout...
26 mins: Minozzi launches an up and under but is impeded by Brown. The referee allows it, and Scotland retain possession.
TRY! Italy 17-12 Scotland (Barclay)
Scotland win the lineout and the pack starts rolling for the line. Italy think they’ve stopped them, but Scotland regroup and Barclay drives over the line. Laidlaw converts from a tricky angle.
23 mins: Scotland very much in a game here, but they win a penalty in midfield. Laidlaw kicks precisely into the corner, and they’ll have a dangerous lineout...
22 mins: Allan took an almighty hit after that grubber kick, but is OK to slot the conversion over. Who saw this start coming? Italy have been excellent.
TRY! Italy 17-5 Scotland (Minozzi)
A lovely attacking move, Italy stretching Scotland on the blind side and drawing Stuart Hogg forward before Allan slips a grubber kick into the open space. Minozzi races onto it and touches down!
19 mins: Italy keep moving the ball around quickly and cleanly, full of purpose. Watson and Brown try to stop their momentum, but Italy regroup...
16 mins: Hogg spills a catch with Seymour in his way, handing Italy a lineout. Scotland not the sharpest so far.
TRY! Italy 10-5 Scotland (Allan)
The maul breaks down but the ball is switched into midfield, where Allan opens up space with a lovely feint, flummoxing Huw Jones and racing under the posts! He converts, and Italy are back in front.
13 mins: Or is he? Italy win the lineout and barrel towards the line...
Speaking of Parisse, he’s on track to pick up an unfortunate stat today:
@niallmcveigh it’s an awful stat to have against your name losing a 100 Tests but after 80mins Sergio P will be that soldier. One of the great 8’s of of our time it’s a shame he’s going to have that stat next to his name. Some player him! Scotland by double figures
— John McEnerney (@MackerOnTheMed) March 17, 2018
12 mins: Fraser Brown charges down an Allan kick - the big man’s been everywhere early doors - but Seymour had been penalised for a high tackle on Sergio Parisse.
TRY! Italy 3-5 Scotland (Brown)
That move opens up space for Finn Russell, who charges to within 5m of the line. Italy stall the attack but Scotland have numbers over and Hamish Watson swings the ball wide. Fraser Brown, all on his own, waits for it to stop, picks it up and plonks it over the line. Laidlaw misses a tricky conversion.
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8 mins: A purposeful start from Italy, but just the three points to show for it. Scotland launch their first attack, Tommy Seymour wriggling through down the left...
Italy 3-0 Scotland (Allan pen) Tommaso Allan, who played for Scotland at U-20 level, kicks the penalty and Italy lead.
5 mins: Penalty advantage to Italy for an offside. Debutant Polledri digs out the extra yards for Italy, but they can’t push on and will take the kick...
4 mins: A loose pass leads to a Scottish knock-on, and Italy have the scrum. Tommaso Castello floats a lovely pass out to the right flank, and Italy drive to within 10m of the try line.
2 mins: Fraser Brown craftily gets his fingers to the ball and turns it over with Italy trying to force their way through down the right.
Kick off
Italy, in a stylish white shirts and blue shorts combo, launch the first attack...
Robin Hazlehurst gets a gold star for recalling that both those wins came against Ireland, who are chasing the grand slam today. Robin also asks how we define a potentially pointless Italy campaign:
“In darts if your opponent gets 301 before you’ve even got 1 point it is called a fannying (at least where I played) so could Italy be fannied as well as whitewashed, and given the wooden spoon today? Or is there a better word?”
A quick quiz question. As mentioned below, Italy’s last Six Nations win in Rome came in 2013. Scotland’s last away Six Nations win outside of Italy was in 2010. What do they have in common?
Jake Polledri makes his debut for Italy in the back row after a remarkable rise to prominence. This time last year Polledri, born and raised in Bristol, was playing for Hartpury, a college team from a tiny Gloucestershire village, in England’s third tier. He was snapped up by Gloucester and after impressing in the Championship, will make his Six Nations bow today.
Team news
Gregor Townsend makes five changes from the team that lost to Ireland. Tommy Seymour, Nick Grigg, Fraser Brown, Tim Swinson and WP Nel all come into the team.
Italy: 15 Matteo Minozzi, 14 Tommaso Benvenuti, 13 Giulio Bisegni, 12 Tommaso Castello, 11 Mattia Bellini, 10 Tommaso Allan, 9 Marcello Violi, 1 Andrea Lovotti, 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 3 Simone Ferrari, 4 Alessandro Zanni, 5 Dean Budd, 6 Sebastian Negri, 7 Jake Polledri, 8 Sergio Parisse (c).
Replacements: 16 Oliviero Fabiani, 17 Nicola Quaglio, 18 Tiziani Pasquali, 19 Abraham Steyn, 20 Giovanni Licata, 21 Guglielmo Palazzani, 22 Carlo Canna, 23 Jayden Hayward.
Scotland: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Tommy Seymour, 13 Huw Jones, 12 Nick Grigg, 11 Sean Maitland, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Greig Laidlaw, 1 Gordon Reid, 2 Fraser Brown, 3 Willem Nel, 4 Tim Swinson, 5 Jonny Gray, 6 John Barclay (c), 7 Hamish Watson 8 Ryan Wilson.
Replacements: 16 Stuart McInally, 17 Jamie Bhatti, 18 Zander Fagerson, 19 Richie Gray, 20 David Denton, 21 Ali Price, 22 Pete Horne, 23 Blair Kinghorn.
Preamble
These two teams have finished in the bottom two six times in the last decade - and a glance at this year’s table would suggest little has changed. In reality, one is looking up the charts, thinking what might have been, and the other is looking down as the rest get better.
Scotland have enjoyed a breakthrough campaign, beating France and England in style at Murrayfield. Had they taken their chances in Dublin and been better prepared in Cardiff, who knows. As it stands, they’re playing for a possible top-half finish and the welcome tonic of an away win.
Italy have remained canny and committed under Conor O’Shea but have been unable to go the distance against any team. They are already guaranteed the wooden spoon for the 13th time in 19 appearances, and are seeking a first Six Nations win in Rome since 2013. Failing that, a point would do.
Kick-off is at 12.30pm; team news to follow.
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