HOGG THE LIMELIGHT
Skipper Stuart goes flat out for first win
The relief in the Roman sun was written across skipper Stuart Hogg’s face as Scotland finally had a Six Nations win to celebrate.
But one swallow doesn’t make a summer with the reality being that it was far from perfect.
So nobody, including the captain, was getting carried away.
Job done against Italy as tries from Hogg, Chris Harris and Adam Hastings eased the pressure on Gregor Townsend and provided evidence of better days ahead.
That there will now be no wooden spoon from this campaign is another source of comfort for Hogg who heaped praise on a defence which gave up nothing to the Italians.
The Scotland captain said: “I believed in the boys from the very beginning, that we could get wins in Test matches.
“We hadn’t performed the way we wanted to in the first couple of macthes, just little bits and pieces, but the exciting thing is we can get better. This group is now hopefully on track.
“It’s a huge confidence boost and we’ll kick on now.
“The challenge is to take it on to France. We’ll enjoy the win but we need to carry it on into the France game – and we’ll work very hard to do that.
“We came here to do a job and we’ve done exactly that. I’m so proud of the boys.
“It’s a lot easier to speak in a huddle after a victory. I said to the boys after the game that it wasn’t perfect– but nothing ever is.
“Our attitude was spot on and the excitement can build because we can get better.
“I know I harp on about the same things. But this is just the beginning. We’re going to get better and better. And we’re going to enjoy doing it.”
It was the Azzurri who carried the early threat with a succession of surges down both f lanks in the opening minutes but they failed to put any points on the scoreboard.
Hastings then went wide with a ninth-minute penalty and it was a miss which fell into the ‘shocker’ category.
Scotland’s stodgy start was in contrast to the attacking flair of Italy who fell behind against the run of play in the 22nd minute thanks to a moment of personal atonement from Hogg.
In typically exhilarating fashion, the Exeter Chiefs full-back left his opposite number Jayden Hayward for dust as he accelerated into the corner.
Hastings failed to kick the extras from a tight angle and it was another missed chance to add to a scoreline which in these encounters has a history of going right to the wire.
The Dark Blues started to click into gear and Sam Johnson offloaded to Ali Price who went over on the half-hour mark. But a forward pass from Hamish Watson in the build-up cut short the celebrations.
Italy’s reputation for erratic kicking was enhanced two minutes from the break as Tommaso Allan’s penalty bounced to safety off a post when he should have been slicing the woodwork down the middle from the left flank.
But the Italians continued to pose problems and Blair
Kinghorn made a perfectly timed cover tackle on Mattea Bellini as the Italian winger looked to race down the outside.
That was to be that in an opening 40 minutes which had Scotland ahead but, Hogg’s brilliance aside, it was far from edge-of-your-seat entertainment from two anxious sides just desperate to claim a win.
What was required was a cushion for that lead and it should have arrived two minutes after the restart but Jamie Ritchie allowed the ball to slip from his grasp as he dashed agonisingly close to the try-line.
All of the nerves and tension was eased in the 47th minute as sustained Scottish pressure paid off with Chris Harris bulldozing himself over the line for another try. But again Hastings was off target with the conversion as he rattled a post.
There was now daylight between the teams but still Italy carried real danger and they should have punished Scotland in the 53rd minute. They seized a Hastings loose ball and Allan almost went clear before being hauled to the deck just in the nick of time.
Another spell of Scots dominance had Hogg again racing at the Italian back division but he opted for the selfish option of going it alone and his attack was smothered with Sean Maitland free and crying out for the ball as part of a two-man overlap.
Despite being roared on by the partisan home support, Italy couldn’t land a blow as the Scottish defence again caught the eye and their cause wasn’t helped by a yellow card for Federico F Zani after tipping Grant G Gilchrist on to his face.
It was to get better for Hastings H as made the most of a slick breakaway to score and atone a for a bad day at the office as a he also fired the conversion to t take Scotland 17 points p clear.
We have come here to do a job and we have done exactly that. I am so proud of the boys. Our attitude was spot on