Blair Kinghorn scored Scotland’s first 6 Nations hat-trick for 30 years as they comfortably breat Italy to win their opening game of the championship for only the third time.
The Edinburgh full-back, playing on the wing, missed a two-man overlap in the first five minutes but more than made up for that with some great finishing, scoring two tries in the first half and a third which clinched the bonus point before an hour was played.
Scotland added further tries from Stuart Hogg and Chris Harris but could have scored a hat-full against an Italian side that only woke up for the final 15 minutes, rallying for three tries that will have seriously annoyed the Scottish coaching team but had no bearing on the eventual result.
33-20 doesn’t remotely reflect the way the Scots completely dominated and controlled the key areas of the contest in the first 70 minutes. They didn’t even attempt a penalty kick at goal in the entire game, and showed plenty of penetration throughout with Finn Russell having a hugely influential game, but there is plenty to work on with much tougher opposition to come in the championship.
Kinghorn’s hat-trick is the first in the championship for Scotland since Iwan Tukalo’s against Ireland in 1989, but their second this season after Tommy Seymour bagged three tries against Fiji in November.
Scotland passed up two glaring scoring chances in the first ten minutes, but one of the culprits was able to quickly and handsomely pay back for his error.
A strong early run from debutant Sam Johnson got Scotland moving forward and they worked a smart short side move down the left touchline through Hogg and Greig Laidlaw, forcing Jayden Heyward to surrender a five metre lineout.
The Scots drove well from Ryan Wilson’s take, but as they went over Grant Gilchrist was adjudged to have made a double movement after a visit to the TMO, and the chance was missed.
Almost immediately more solid lineout ball allowed Russell to put Kinghorn through a huge gap and into the 22 on the gallop, but the youngster went himself with Hogg and Seymour open outside him, Italy regrouped and eventually forced a turnover.
When Tomasso Allan kicked a penalty for a tip tackle by Ritchie on Italy’s first attack, the Scots responded with two quick tries, both from Kinghorn.
First Italy’s late replacement scrum-half Guglielmo Palazzini was too slow over clearing ruck ball, Greig Laidlaw pounced for the turnover and Russell’s beautifully weighted cross kick found the young wing in stride to go over for a try Laidlaw couldn’t convert.
Italy were the authors of their own misfortune again on 20 minutes, Castello fumbling in his own 22 after Russell pinned them back with some clever kicking.
The stand-off looped outside Johnson from the scrum move, and good hands from Jones and Hogg – although the full-back’s final pass went to ground – created the space for Kinghorn to go in again, with Laidlaw on target from the touchline.
With better handling and a little more urgency Scotland could have put the game away in the rest of the first half, but some tenacious Italian defence in their own 22 and some laboured phase play meant the Scots’ obvious superiority wasn’t properly reflected on the scoreboard.
Italy’s attack was limited to one series of phases in which the Scots gradually pushed them back and then a thumping Seymour tackle produced a turnover.
Scotland’s dominance continued into the second half and they had Italy backtracking sometimes in desperation before the third try came in 48 minutes.
Seymour made a darting break from great lineout ball and although he was hauled down short of the posts, the Scots recycled and Russell’s deft little grubber kick behind the defence found Hogg stretching to get the touch down with his left hand.
Laidlaw converted, and although Palazzani made a surprise clean break for Italy, he knocked on close to the line after a McInally tackle and Scotland were able to clear from the scrum.
And Scotland secured the bonus with their best move of the match, Russell starting it with a superb gather and run, Ritchie carrying the ball into the 22 and linking with Laidlaw who put Kinghorn, running a perfect line against the disorganised defence, in for his hat-trick.
The fifth try came before the hour, a vintage Stuart Hogg counterattacking run from open field slicing up the Italian defence and although Ben Toolis was stopped short, the ball was quickly worked for replacement Chris Harris to score his first international try by the posts, Russell converting.
Italy roused themselves with a series of lineout drives that saw the Scots infringe once too often for referee Luke Pearce, who yellow-carded tighthead replacement Simon Berghan. Palazzani dived over under the posts for the try as they took the tap, Allan converting.
Hogg seemed to ghost through again on another thrilling run but was called back for obstruction, and instead Italy scored a second unconverted try through replacement back Edoardo Padovani as the Scottish defence started to look a little threadbare.
Again Scotland seemed to be tiring as Italy attacked from deep and Angelo Esposito scored their third try in ten minutes, but Italy were far too far back to have any designs on a comeback.
Scotland: S Hogg; T Seymour, H Jones, S Johnson, B Kinghorn; F Russell, G Laidlaw (capt); A Dell, S McInally, WP Nel; B Toolis, G Gilchrist; S Skinner, J Ritchie, R Wilson.
Replacements: J Kerr for McInally 65, J Bhatti for Dell 57, S Berghan for Nel 52, G Graham for Wilson 73, J Strauss for Skinner 13, A Price for Laidlaw 57, A Hastings for Russell 76, C Harris for Jones 57.
Italy: J Hayward; A Esposito, L Morisi, T Castello, M Campagnaro; T Allan, G Palazzani; A Lovotti, L Ghiraldini, S Ferrari; D Sisi, D Budd; S Negri, A Steyn, S Parisse (capt).
Replacements: L Bigi for Ghiraldini 59, C Traore for Lovotti 52, T Pasquali for Ferrari 66, F Ruzza for Negri 59, J Tuivati for Budd 52, M Benvenuti (unused), I McKinley for Allan 72, E Padovani for Castello 48.
Ref: L Pearce (RFU)