Scotland continued their domination of Italy in Rome but it was a struggle despite being clearly the superior side on a glorious day in the Italian capital.
The Scots shut the Italians out from the scoreboard and scored three tries themselves, but passed up a host of chances to score more and the tactical approach of constant kicking was frustrating for the legions who had made the trip to the Eternal City.
The match will be remembered for captain Stuart Hogg’s glorious first-half try, and possibly Italy’s worst performance, certainly at home, during their long run of 25 Six Nations defeats. The Azzuri simply couldn’t hold on to the ball in the pass or on the deck, the Scottish backrow helping themselves to a feast of turnover ball.
Scotland probably left two or three tries on the paddock due to drops and mistakes themselves, but the game in Rome is rarely straightforward for them.
The result gives some relief to embattled head coach Gregor Townsend, but the tactical approach of constantly kicking possession away and the ineffectiveness of their attacking game inside the 22 continues.
They needed 17 phases of bash before Chris Harris’ second try. Adam Hastings’ late score highlighted a mixed performance by the young 10.
One moment of sheer class lit up an otherwise dire first half of rugby in the Rome sunshine, and fortunately it came from the Scotland captain.
Italy made the first of many gratuitous errors when they tried to surprise Scotland with a quick lineout but knocked on, and that was just about the extent of imaginative play on display for 20 minutes.
Scotland won a series of scrum penalties to work position into the Italian 22 but their ability to punch through a set defence was no better than it had been in the opening two games. Eventually Magnus Bradbury knock on and when the Scots pack won another penalty at the scrum, Adam Hastings blocked a routine penalty kick from 15 metres wide of the posts.
A missed tackle by Kinghorn and a slip by Hogg almost gifted Mattia Bellini the chance to set Jayden Hayward clear on a 50 metre move, but the captain got back to make the key tackle as Scotland scrambled the ball into touch.
They had to regroup quickly again when Italy made ground on the left with Minozzi’s kick and chase, and a hit on Maitland that loosened the ball, but a defensive turnover by Hastings stalled Italy five metres out.
The game needed a spark of something – simple competence perhaps – but it got a flash of genius for the first score on 22 minutes.
Kinghorn chipped and chased as Scotland attacked down the left but too far, only for Carlo Canna to mis-kick back to Ritchie, who passed to Hogg 10 metres inside his own half.
The skipper immediately spotted Sebastian Negri as his defender and with a simply show and go motored past the flanker, away from Tommy Allan and around Hayward to go in at the corner for a brilliant solo score.
Hastings couldn’t convert and the game sadly reverted to the previous staple of aimless kicking, as bad at the Calcutta Cup but with little excuse this time given the perfect conditions.
Scotland nearly had another score as Hamish Watson muscled through and fed Sam Johnson to send Ali Price away under the posts, but the offload by the flanker was clearly forward.
Italy finally went for the posts when Bradbury didn’t roll away at a tackle, but Allan’s penalty struck the outside of the left hand post and stayed out.
Scotland had a half-chance just as the half closed when Hogg again created space this time for Price, but the scrum-half knocked on in the tackle as he moved towards the line.
There was much more coherence and verve in Scotland straight after the break with purposeful and direct running from forwards but the final piece was missing again, Watson and Bradbury off-loaded well but Jamie Ritchie couldn’t hang as he went to the line.
The flanker forced a turnover penalty as Italy tried to exit, though, and that set up Scotland for more of their hammering inside the 22.
This time they held on to the ball for 17 phases before finally they got it out for Chris Harris to go between tackles by Polledri and Minozzi to score the second try.
Adam Hastings’ poor afternoon continued however with a missed conversion and then a wild offload after he had split the defence into the Italian 22, which almost led to Minozzi weaving away at the other end before Bradbury forced yet another holding on penalty.
On the hour the Scots should have been in for the third try but this time Hogg was too greedy after good breaks from Harris and replacement scrum-half George Horne, ignoring a two-man overlap outside him and being snared short of the line.
One score of any kind from the Italians would start to fray Scottish nerves but the visitors’ cause was helped by replacement hooker Federico Zanni getting yellow carded for a tip tackle on replacement lock Grant Gilchrist just as the home side were building some momentum.
Finally Italy’s desperation to keep the ball alive saw them lose the ball at an undermanned ruck, and Adam Hastings was able to pick up Gilchrist’s turnover and canter 50 metres for the clinching try, finally landing a kick with the conversion.
Att: 65,000
Italy: J Hayward; M Bellini, L Morisi, C Canna, M Minozzi; T Allan, C Braley; A Lovotti, L Bigi (capt), G Zilocchi; A Zanni, N Cannone; J Polledri, S Negri, B Steyn.
Replacements: F Zani for Bigi 60, D Fischetti for Lovotti 59, M Riccioni for Zilocchi 30, M Lazzaroni for Cannone 68, D Budd for Zanni 45, G Licata for Negri 45, G Palazzani for Braley 59, Bisegni for Allan 70.
Scotland: S Hogg; S Maitland, C Harris, S Johnson, B Kinghorn; A Hastings, A Price; R Sutherland, S McInally, Z Fagerson; B Toolis, S Cummings; J Ritchie, H Watson, M Bradbury.
Replacements: F Brown for McInally 60, A Dell for Sutherland 55, W Nel for Fagerson 55, G Gilchrist for Cummings 68, M Fagerson for Bradbury 55, G Horne for Price 55, R Hutchinson for Harris 60, B McGuigan for Maitland 68.
Ref: B O’Keeffe (NZRFU)
