Mission in Rome successful but Scots must raise game for Dublin
ALI PRICE was due a big performance in a Scotland shirt — and what a game he had on his 50th cap as the team showed in Rome, at times, what they can do in attack when they get things right. It wasn’t a perfect performance by any means — defence coach Steve Tandy will not be happy about conceding 22 points — but Scotland simply had to go to the Stadio Olimpico and win, and they managed to do that.
After the defeats to Wales and France, the squad had 14 days to stew before this one and there will have been a lot of soul-searching.
But they knew that the best way to counter Italy’s passion in the first 20 minutes would be to get off to a fast start themselves.
To do that they needed experienced players in key positions like Hamish Watson, Price and Stuart Hogg to lead the way and, after a slow opening 10 or 15 minutes, they started to assert authority and Scotland scored a great first try.
It really was out of the top drawer. George Turner’s burst down the right was powerful, but it could easily have come to nothing if his team-mates had not been on the same wavelength as him.
However, moments later Sam Johnson was touching down on the left-hand side and the ball had been shipped right across the field showing the pace the team wanted to play at.
Price then picked off a great interception when Italy were attacking to lead the charge for Scotland’s second try, with Kyle Steyn and Chris Harris showing excellent composure to finish that one off.
Italy then scored a wellworked try of their own and it was crucial that the Scots got the third touchdown through Harris just before the break. When 19-10 became 26-10 in the 49th minute thanks to Darcy Graham’s try — the Edinburgh man is just getting better and better — it looked as if Scotland really might take the game by the scruff of the neck and go on to triumph handsomely.
They will be slightly frustrated, as Gregor Townsend pointed out, that they didn’t.
However, credit for that must go to Italy for the battling spirit they showed and in the end 33-22 was probably about the right result.
Scotland never looked like losing it in the last 31 minutes, but they would have liked to have kicked on into the 40s if they could have and put down more of a marker before the final Six Nations game against Ireland in Dublin next weekend.
Man-of-the-match Price was head and shoulders above anyone else on the pitch and put in his best Scotland showing since the British & Irish Lions tour, while Watson and Hogg looked sharp.
I also thought having two sevens in Watson and Rory Darge together worked really well. They look like they have played together for years and Darge appears to be so at home at this level despite being only 22 and this being his third cap.
Matt Fagerson also carried hard to complete an impressive backrow showing all round, but the guys in the dressing room will know that they will have to step up their game another level to have a chance of winning in Dublin on ‘Super Saturday’.
The physicality Ireland are playing with just now is on a par with France. Scotland could not deal with that physicality against the French, so they will have to find a way to front up in the Irish capital — and also defend more clinically — if they are to end this championship with three wins rather than two.
There are glimpses in the current Scotland squad that they can get it right against the big teams in world rugby, but they must do it more consistently.
You have only to look at the way Ireland played against New Zealand in the Autumn to see what a real 80-minute performance looks like.
I would just like to say well done to the boys from the school that I work at — Loretto — who won the National Schools Under-18 Shield final on Wednesday night at the DAM Health Stadium.
It was one of four boy’s Under-16 and 18 finals there and at BT Murrayfield, and it struck me what a big occasion it was for the teenagers involved.
They look up to the young players like Rory Darge and Darcy Graham, so let’s hope that pair and their Scotland team-mates can give us all something to cheer about next weekend.