We let that slip at the end, complains a frustrated Townsend

buoyed by their victory at Twickenham yesterday. Still searching for a complete 80-minute performance, the head coach said: ‘I’m not concerned, more frustrated.

‘We pride ourselves in how we defend. We trust our players and our system, and we trust each other.

‘For a lot of that game, our defence was forcing turnovers from Italy.

‘But it is disappointing that we were slipping off tackles towards the end and gave Italy two tries.

‘One was the final action and the final emotion of the game, which isn’t great. But that will drive us on next week to be better in

Dublin.’

Townsend (right) added: ‘I’m delighted for the players to get a win away from home at the end of a really productive week.

‘I’m very happy with the first 50 minutes. Italy performed really well, so they were hard to break down and they have their own threats. But going into the final quarter with a good lead on the scoreboard, we were expecting to kick on.

‘So credit to Italy for the way they played during that period. But we will look at ourselves and we are disappointed we didn’t build on that really good first 50-60 minutes.’ Townsend reported a clean bill of health afterwards, which will be a boost given some of the injury woes Scotland have suffered in recent weeks.

But there was still a sense that the Scots ought to have won by a more handsome margin. For Townsend, the frustration was clear.

Asked how he would score his side’s performance out of ten, he said: ‘I would score it much higher in the first half and beginning of the second half than I would in the final quarter of the game. We have to work towards an 80-minute performance.

‘A lot of what we did up to 60-minute mark was good, with players working hard for each other, being accurate and getting five tries at an away venue like this, which I don’t think I have been involved with before.

‘They are all real positives and if we had finished like we started, we would feel a bit happier.

‘But as a coaching group, we are really frustrated that we didn’t go through to the 80-minute mark playing that way.’

Scrum-half Price was excellent on his 50th cap.

It was the Glasgow Warriors star who leapt out of the line and made a brilliant interception in the build-up to Scotland’s second try.

‘It was inspired,’ said Townsend of the British and Irish Lions star.

‘Ali was obviously playing in his 50th cap and looked really sharp when he got his hands on the ball, created tries and kicked well, too.

‘So it was great to see him playing well on such a big day.

‘Ali wasn’t very pleased with his performance against France and it was a big day for him here, so it was good to see him rise to the occasion and deliver on what he’s capable of.’