Match report: Italy 22-33 Scotland
David Barnes was watching for the Observer at the Stadio Olimpico this afternoon:
Mission accomplished in Rome, but this was not a particularly convincing performance by the visitors. Scotland now head to Dublin with winning momentum, but they’ll be in no doubt that they will need to be an awful lot better next Saturday if they are going to keep it respectable against Ireland.
All eyes will be on Paris next Saturday as France bid to close out the grand slam – after Wales pushed them to the limit last night. Dan Biggar was excellent for the hosts, but was left bitterly disappointed by the result:
“It’s very, very difficult when there’s games you should have won and you’ve come off second best. It’s really pleasing, the way we’ve played. We put a really good shift in and we’ve pushed them to the edge. But ultimately they’ve got the win, and we’re the ones who are disappointed.”
Here are the Scottish players lifting that trophy. Next up for them on the final weekend: a trip to Dublin.
Congratulations to @Scotlandteam for winning the inaugural Cuttitta Cup!#GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/ERqi4ZsCRz
— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) March 12, 2022
A reminder that for the first time today, Scotland and Italy were competing for a trophy – the Cuttitta Cup, which will be awarded to the winners of this Six Nations fixture from today on. It’s named in honour of Massimo Cuttitta, the former Italy international and Scotland scrum coach who died last year at 54 after contracting Covid-19.
A big game coming up at Twickenham – join us for live build-up to England v Ireland:
FULL TIME! Italy 22-33 Scotland
PEEEEP PEEEEP! That’s full time, and a bonus-point win for Scotland against an improved Italy side, who ran in three ties to the visitors’ five.
Updated
TRY! Italy 22 - 33 Scotland (Ange Capuozzo)
80+2 mins. Lamaro has a big carry into the 22 and offloads to keep the attack going. The ball is sent right towards the wing for Capuozzo, who has been a livewire since his introduction, to grab it, step a bit and score his second.
Garbisi misses the conversion, and that’s that.
Updated
80+1 min. Garbisi has a little run into the Scottish half and his side and working slowly forward through the phases.
79 mins. Scotland are on the ball around halfway, but there’s not much desire to do much from either side at this stage. The ball is toed into touch by Hastings and Italy will have a final possession.
78 mins. Vellacott has a dart from the base of the ruck and sets up a final Scottish attack. They are up to the Italy 22 where Hogg joins the line and gets in a muddle with Steyn which sees the ball go forward.
76 mins. Late Scotland subs
Jamie Hodgson is on for Sam Skinner
Ben Vellacott replaces Ali Price
Adam Hastings switches with Russell
Sione Tuipulotu for Sam Johnson
73 mins. Italy tap and go right form a penalty and Padovani drives towards the corner, but Scotland get enough men across to force him into touch short of the line.
71 mins. Italy have decided the way forward is pure chaos. Capuozzo has a dancing run and flings it back off the floor to no-one in particular. As the ball finds a player, Padovani, he chips to wide Ioanne who stays about 3mm away from the touchline and recycles it somehow. Then, as if he wil no longer tolerate this nonsense, Brex then slants a very sensible kick to touch.
Little bit of everything in that passage.
TRY! Italy 17 - 33 Scotland (Ange Capuozzo)
67 mins. The lineout is won cleanly and Itlay are into midfield in the Scottish 22, Brex fizzes the ball out to Padovani who immediately pops in back inside to Capuozzo who finishes it. A try on debut!
Garbisi lands the conversion
Updated
64 mins. That latest try appears to have jump-started Italy a bit. They inject some pace into the phases and an angled grubber is put in behind but Ioanne just can’t pick it up.
However, they’ll have another go as there was a penalty advantage being played
TRY! Italy 10 - 31 Scotland (Stuart Hogg)
62 mins. The game is breaking up a bit, with Scotland especially looking to keep the ball alive where possible. Ali Price has the ball and takes some sevens-style time to look for a gap and darts between the drifting Italian defenders before firing a bullet pass left to Hogg who runs in.
Russell adds the conversion an the game could get very ugly for Italy from here.
Updated
59 mins. Fusco runs it out of his 22, stepping Hogg and then running directly into a wall of dark blue that allows Darge to clamp on the ball and win a penalty.
Stuart McInally is on for George Turner. Alan Dell replaces Schoemand
MISSED PENALTY! Italy 10 - 26 Scotland (Paolo Garbisi)
56 mins. Garbisi is clattered late after he kicks by Schoeman. He picks himself up, calls for the tee and misses left.
53 mins. Padovani does a terrible job of fielding a Russell kick, and the covering Capuozzo can do nothing but slice his kick horribly to touch.
David Sisi is on for Cannone
51 mins. Italy are emptying the bench rapidly
Danilo Fishetti, Giocomo Nicotera, Pietro Ceccarelli are replaced by Luca Bigi, Ivan Nemer and Tiziano Pasquali - a whole new front row.
Alessandro Fusco replaces Braley.
TRY! Italy 10 - 26 Scotland (D'Arcy Graham)
48 mins. Hogg is growing into the game and has a counter-attack run after another poor Garbisi kick. This out Scotland into the Italy half with Darge the latest to carry into the 22.
The ball is in Russell’s hands and he simply pops it inside to Graham who is off his wing on the arcing run and in to score. There was a huge whiff of forward pass on the pop, but they never get called these days.
Finn Russell adds the two.
Updated
45 mins. Italy have some possession around halfway but they increasingly look blunted and too static. The latest passive carry leads to penalty given away and Scotland will have a lineout in the Italian 22.
Sub for Italy as Ange Capuozzo - who looks about eight years old - replaces Bruno on the wing.
43 mins. Horrible couple of minutes from Garbisi here. Firstly, he flops a free kick up in the air in a pointless tactic, then when Russell lets him off the hook by kicking it directly back to him, the Italian 10 then boots it out on the full.
He really is a very frustrating player.
SECOND HALF!
40 mins. Finn Russell drop-kicks us back into action and Italy do a tidy job of gathering and clearing.
@bloodandmud Greetings from Madrid. What a wonderful spectacle in Rome - and some want to get rid of Italy? Tomorrow we're going to see the big one, Spain v Portugal with a World Cup place at stake.#FER
— john alford (@john7956) March 12, 2022
Greetings yourself, John.
Half time musings
If not for some vital Italy mistakes for the first two Scotland tries - admittedly alloyed with some classy and clinical Scottish responses to said mistakes - then this game could look very different. Italy have put together their best half of rugby of the tournament so far and both troubled and contained Scotland in phased attack and defence respectively.
However, those individual ricks in their game that led to the first two tries against remain an issue. Then, as the game entered the latter part of the half, Scotland began to look more dominant and likely to move slowly away. It’s vital that the Azzuri score next, and will that be enough to give them a grab rail in the match?
Half Time! Italy 10 - 19 Scotland
40 mins. PEEEEP!
Ali Price tidies up at the back of the ruck and chips the ball to touch to bring a decent half to an end.
TRY! Italy 10 - 19 (Chris Harris)
38 mins. The ball goes right to Russell, who has time and runners to choose from. Eventually he pops to Harris cutting an angle back against the defensive line and he has enough power and pace to get through Zanon to score.
Russell converts.
Updated
36 mins. Italy collapse the scrum and Scotland take another scrum from the resulting penalty.
34 mins. Key period for Italy pre half-time as Scotland attack in numbers. All of a sudden the Scottish carriers appear to have a bit more dynamism as Italy’s defence looks a little tired. Ali Price again breaks the line and when he’s hauled down Italy are penalised for killing the ball.
Russell dummies a kick to touch and instead taps it and puts it through hands and towards he Italy posts. Play is developing before a loud blast from Ref Pearce stops play as Brex has taken a whack to the head.
He’s off for and HIA, replaced by Zanon and Scotland will have a very handy scrum in the shadow of the posts.
31 mins. Before anyone brings it up, yes I’m beginning to regret my preamble prediction of zero chance of an Italy win.
TRY! Italy 10 - 12 Scotland (Callum Braley)
30 mins. Italy have a scrum midway in the Scotland half. They once again run a lovely pattern on first phase that sets them away up the right touchline with Bruno up to the line before he pops a last gasp offload inside to Braley who scores.
Garbisi converts and this now feels like a more representative scoreline of how the half has gone.
Updated
27 mins. Italy follow up the penalty with some repeat phases. A Garbisi chip over the top nearly causes some problems, but Scotland scramble and eventually force Garbisi to find a decent touch deep in the Scotland 22.
MISSED PENALTY! Italy 3 - 12 Scotland (Paolo Garbisi)
24 mins. Garbisi tees one up after Harris is pinged for not rolling away, but he pushes it just left.
TRY! Italy 3 - 12 Scotland (Chris Harris)
22 mins. Italy are deep in the Scotland 22 and looking good for a score of their own before Ali Price bolts out of the line and intercepts. He steps and jinks his way into the Italian half before finding Steyn with a brilliant, huge pass left on the run. The winger then chops a diagonal kick back inside that the supporting Chris Harris falls upon to score.
Shades of Saint-Andre vs England back in the day about that assist and finish.
Russell converts
Updated
19 mins. Italy will be fuming about that score as it all stemmed from a basic tackle error, especially given other than that they’ve contained the Scotland attack easily thus far.
TRY! Italy 3 - 5 Scotland (Sam Johnson)
18 mins. On the right touchline, Graham pops to Turner who runs over a very weak tackle and is free and away on the fullback. The hooker pops inside to Price who is hauled down in the 22 before Russell flings a huge pass to the left for Johnson to score in the corner.
Conversion missed.
Updated
16 mins. First period of phased possession for Scotland for a little while. There are some carries around the fringes of the ruck before Price thuds a grubber into touch in the Italy half. The Italians again win solid ball at the lineout and a couple of kicks back and forth from deep end with Padovani making a mark in his 22.
14 mins. Scotland’s discipline is poor, with George Turner the latest culpable player as he goes off his feet at the ruck. Italy win the possession at the lineout and are again on the attack in the Scotland 22 but precision at ruck continues to be an issue, allowing Matt Fagerson to win a turnover penalty.
11 mins. From a solid scrum on the right of the Scotland 22m line, Italy bring Pierre Bruno off his wing for a big carry. It makes some ground, but he wastes it by trying to steal a metre by rolling on the floor, which is technically known as illegal. Penalty Scotland.
Italy have had a very bright start.
9 mins. Stuart Hogg booms a huge kick up in the air, which Padovani misjudges as he climbs to claim it, it bouces off his shoulder and the ball is back to Scotland. Fagerson carries up but is isolated and this allows Italy to clamp on the ball and win a clearing penalty.
7 mins. Scotland peel off the lineout but Ali Price’s short pop pass is fumbled by Sam Johnson with the Italian defence a close quarters. Italy run a nice pattern from the resulting scrum and make forty metres up the right touchline, but the Scottish drift defence is up to the job.
Updated
PENALTY! Italy 3 - 0 Scotland (Paolo Garbisi)
4 mins. The Italian 10 calls for the tee and puts his side three points ahead.
3 mins. Workmanlike phases from Scotland around halfway don’t gain a great deal of ground so Russell launches it high. Ioanne claims it before some more kicks trade possessions and Scotland are offside in the defensive line.
Kick off!
1 min. Garbisi punts us underway and Scotland return possession to the home side via Finn Russell’s boot.
The teams are on their way out into the early spring Rome sunshine. It’s a bloody lovely day for it.
Ali Price is first out on the occasion of his 5oth cap, soon followed by both sets of players.
Updated
The brunch chatter has commenced
“For balance,” ventures Andrew Benton, “perhaps you should follow up the ciabatta with a nice big bowl of porridge?”
Super-carb on top of bread carb is a bold move. One I won’t be making.
Updated
Pre-match reading
Gregor Townsend has been reflecting on the tournament, and while he’s disappointed he still believes, “if we get our performance right, we’re a match for any team in the world.”
More of his thoughts here...
I’ve just eaten a bacon ciabatta roll as match prep. Are any of you putting a middle class spin a weekend brunch staple? If so you can share this, or stuff related to the match I suppose, with me by email or on Twitter.
Teams
Italy stick with the personnel that, outnumbered, did their best to repel the Irish, with just two enforced changes. Gianmarco Lucchesi dislocated an elbow in the siege of Dublin and usual replacement hooker Epalahame Faiva is banned following his red card in the same match. This brings a debut for Giocomo Nicotera while Luca Bigi settles on the bench.
Gregor Townsend makes five changes to the starting team. Hamish Watson is back in to make a flank partnership with the newly magnificent Rory Darge. Matt Fagerson completes the backrow changes. In the backs, Duhan Van Der Merwe’s ban for his red card playing for Worcester brings in Kyle Steyn on the wing, while Sam Johnson reclaims the 12 shirt from Sione Tuipulotu.
Italy: Edoardo Padovani; Pierre Bruno, Juan Ignacio Brex, Leonardo Marin, Montanna Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Callum Braley; Danilo Fishetti, Giocomo Nicotera, Pietro Ceccarelli, Niccolò Cannone, Federico Ruzza, Giovanni Pettinelli, Michele Lamaro (capt), Toa Halafihi.
Replacements: 16 Luca Bigi, 17 Ivan Nemer, 18 Giosué Zilocchi, 19 David Sisi, 20 Manuel Zuliani, 21 Alessandro Fusco, 22 Marco Zanon, 23 Ange Capuozzo.
Scotland: Stuart Hogg (capt); Darcy Graham, Chris Harris, Sam Johnson, Kyle Steyn; Finn Russell, Ali Price; Pierre Schoeman, George Turner, Zander Fagerson, Sam Skinner, Grant Gilchrist, Rory Darge, Hamish Watson, Matt Fagerson.
Replacements: 16 Stuart McInally, 17 Allan Dell, 18 WP Nel, 19 Jamie Hodgson, 20 Magnus Bradbury, 21 Ben Vellacott, 22 Adam Hastings, 23 Sione Tuipulotu.
Updated
Preamble
Come one, come all to Rome for this, our live coverage of Italy vs Scotland.
It would be tempting and obvious to spend many words here venturing to find yet another way of saying Italy haven’t won a game for ages. But, I know that, you know that, and Scotland certainly know that because last time the Azzuri registered a victory was against them in 2015.
What hopes of another one today? Zero.
Scotland have lost much air from whatever slow puncture the clearly suffered somewhere between the England and Wales matches, but they remain some distance a better team than the hosts. Italy, since their opening and only try vs France, have not scored another touchdown for nearly four hours - FOUR HOURS! - of play. Obviously, having thirteen men for most of the last match didn’t help with that, but still...
So given the inevitable result, what is in this for the spectator? It’s a chance for Italy to reset and show something after the aforementioned Dublin farce - their backrow has lovely balance and if Garbisi can stop his myriad baffling kicking decisions there are tries in this team. Recent evidence notwithstanding.
Scotland have a chance to unstiffen the performance rigor mortis that set in during the time following the positive opening weekend win, and the tonking France put on them a fortnight ago. Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg are desperately in need of some moxie-restoring space to play themselves back into form before the big Ireland test on Super Saturday.
