38 mins. The rain is now like a visual special effect it’s so heavy, so Garbisi decides that possession is not a good idea and wallops an attempted drop-goal from 35 metres, that he pulls to the right.
Updated
37 mins. A scrum on halfway is absolutely beasted by Italy, driving the Scottish pack back into their own past. Penalty awarded, with very little conjuncture to the home side.
PENALTY! Italy 15 - 7 Scotland (Paolo Garbisi)
34 mins. But the advantage was still there and Garbisi tees it up and slots a dignity reclaiming three points.
33 mins. Nicotera finds his jumper at the lineout and on a penalty advantage for Scotland playing the jumper in the air they move a few metres forward in a maul. The ball is released into midfield and Garbisi goes for a drop goal from 15 metres that he misses horibly. It was bang in front and he had all the time in the world.
31 mins. The game is trapped in the middle third of the field for a period, with both teams running a couple before kicking to compete. It’s advantage Italy as the ref rules Lynagh was obstructed when chasing.
28 mins. More phases from Scotland that display some decent hands in the filthy conditions. But the ball inevitably spills and Italy can kick clear with Lorenzo Cannone putting his foot through the ball.
Menoncello does well to take the ball on the chase and he is taken in the air by Dobie, who mistimed his tackle and nothing more.
26 mins. The rain is now absolutely HONKING down in Rome. Cannone is penalised for not releasing in the tackle and Scotland are back on the ball in the Italy half.
TRY! Italy 12 - 7 Scotland (Jack Dempsey)
24 mins. Matt Fagerson pops the ball to Dempsey who shows some outstanding footwork in a tight space to step off his right foot and dive over from two metres.
Russell adds two.
Updated
23 mins. The attack is well into double figures of phases, but Italy are doing a great job of forcing it backwards before they drift offside. Scotland opt for the tap and go and Zuliani is this close to grabbing a turnover on the ground, but is a fraction late and penalised.
21 mins. Italy don’t bother contesting the lineout, but Ashman still fails to hit his man, the ball instead flopping off the tips of the fingers of a reaching Gilchrist. The loss is not terminal, however, as the ball is regathered by the visitors to commence some phases close to the try line.
18 mins. Some ball for Scotland leads to a penalty advantage due to Italy being offside for Lorenzo Cannone not retreating. Russell finds touch 5m from the Italian line.
16 mins. Each of the two tries have similar themes. One is that Brex and Menoncello are perhaps the best centre pairing in Europe, and the other is that Scotland’s fringe defence out wide is a mess.
Updated
TRY! Italy 12 - 0 Scotland (Tommaso Menoncello)
14 mins. Lynagh does an incredible job to chase, soar towards and grab a Garbisi up and under, and on the next phase Brex throws a long pass left to Menoncello in the wing berth to gallop up the touchline and ground it.
Garbisi slots the conversion
Updated
11 mins. A penalty for Scotland is kickable, but the opportunity is spurned with as kick to the corner preferred. This does not work out of the best when Zambonin climbs high to snaffle the throw and snuff out the attack, followed soon after by Scotland giving away a ruck penalty.
TRY! Italy 5 - 0 Scotland (Louis Lynagh)
8 mins. Menoncello has a massive carry off the lineout that is recycled quickly and moved to the right for Brex to dink a grubber behind the Scotland tackle line. Lynagh runs into acres of space to gather the ball and dive over for a wonderfully crafted try.
Garbisi bounces the conversion back off the post.
Updated
6 mins. The position is wasted by the visitors as the malfunctioning lineout show continues, the ball lost back to the Italian side. There’s some more traded possession via kicks as both sides try to find a groove in the damp conditions. Thus far all they are finding is a grumbling crowd at how poor it all is. But there’s a lineout coming for Italy in the Scottish half.
4 mins. Scotland have their first lineout and their attempted catch and drive is spilled by Matt Fagerson as he looked to set up the maul. However, Ref O’Keefe determines the reason for said spilling was an illegal early drive from Italy. Penalty Scotland and it’s sent to touch in the Azzuri 22.
2 mins. Dempsey takes a settling carry into the Italian chasing defence before White finds touch with his boot. Nicotera has his throw stolen at the lineout to put Scotland back on the ball for a couple of phases, leading to another kick from White.
KICK OFF!
Ben O’Keefe is today’s ref, and he duly blows his whistle to cue a long kick from Garbisi to start us up
The teams emerge from the tunnel into the mizzling air in the Italian capital, the noise is huge as the home fans sense the opportunity for a memorable result.
An early email from Jeremy Boyce
“Looks like an unsettled day in Rome, water on the ground so it’s obviously rained, enough blue sky to make a pair of sailor’s trousers and some low sun to warm your back. Great rugby weather, let’s hope the rugby itself matches, and an Italian win to upset the predictable form book.”
There’s plenty to look forward to in the match, as well as plenty in my preamble for Scotland fans to take issue with. Feel free to let me know about this and anything else on the email.
Pre match reading
Teams
Italy
Leonardo Marin; Louis Lynagh, Juan Ignacio Brex, Tommaso Menoncello, Monty Ioane; Paolo Garbisi, Alessandro Fusco; Danilo Fischetti, Giacomo Nicotera, Simone Ferrari; Niccolò Cannone, Andrea Zambonin; Michele Lamaro (c), Manuel Zuliani, Lorenzo Cannone.
Replacements: Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, Mirco Spagnolo, Muhamed Hasa, Federico Ruzza, Riccardo Favretto, Alessandro Garbisi, Giacomo Da Re, Lorenzo Pani.
Scotland
Tom Jordan; Kyle Steyn, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu (c), Jamie Dobie; Finn Russell, Ben White; Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman, Zander Fagerson; Scott Cummings, Grant Gilchrist; Matt Fagerson, Rory Darge, Jack Dempsey.
Replacements: George Turner, Nathan McBeth, Elliot Millar Mills, Max Williamson, Gregor Brown, George Horne, Adam Hastings, Darcy Graham
Preamble
A year that looks good for Scotland in terms of form and fitness starts with a match vs Italy in Rome. This could be seen as a decent way to ease into the championship for Townsend’s team, who enter the tournament with optimism for what feels like at least the fifth year on the bounce. Talented, experienced, mostly settled, this side has all the markings of a group that should be challenging for the title but history proves will likely finish fourth. Hey, don’t shoot the messenger.
This inexplicable frailty was demonstrated by this fixture last time out in 2024, when Italy came from behind then survived a late rally by the visitors to win 31-29; delivering their first win in eleven years. How the Azzuri would love the same result today.
Both teams have an open style of playing, reflected in this being only fixture of the opening round that features both sides with a 5:3 split in the subs. Most coaches are favouring as much beef as possible off the bench, but Gregor Townsend and Gonzalo Quesada prefer more craft in their options. This approach has earned some decent results for Italy in the previous two years, but less so consistently for Scotland. One of the many frustrations that bubble up about Townsend is inability – or unwillingness - to change approach in the face of the same performances and outcomes.
The tone setting nature of this fixture for both sides should not be underestimated; especially the visitors whose whistle and drone from the deflation of defeat will be audible in Inverness.
