Italy vs Scotland - The Wooden Spoon Decider

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ITALY VS SCOTLAND

Date: Saturday 27th February 2016
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Kick Off: 2:25pm (GMT)
Referee: Jaco Peyper (SARU)
TV Coverage: Live on ITV

Italy snatched a late 22-19 victory over Scotland in last season's corresponding fixture in Edinburgh.

Italy and Scotland have contested a total of 25 rugby test matches since their first meeting in 1996. Italy have won 8 of those matches, whilst Scotland have won 17.

Scotland are on a 9 game losing streak in the 6 Nations.

Teams

Italy

Starting XV
1. Andrea Lovotti
2 Leonardo Ghiraldini
3 Lorenzo Cittadini
4 Marco Fuser
5 Joshua Furno
6 Francesco Minto
7 Alessandro Zanni
8 Sergio Parisse
9 Edoardo Gori
10 Kelly Haimona
11 Mattia Bellini
12 Gonzalo Garcia
13 Michele Campagnaro
14 Leonardo Sarto
15 David Odiete

Replacements

16 Davide Giazzon, 17 Matteo Zanusso,18 Martin Castrogiovanni,19 Valerio Bernabo, 20 Andries Van Schalkwyk, 21 Guglielmo Palazzani, 22 Edoardo Padovani, 23 Andrea Pratichetti.

Scotland

Starting XV
1. Alasdair Dickinson
2. Ross Ford
3. Willem Nel
4. Richie Gray
5. Johnny Gray
6. John Barclay
7. John Hardie
8. David Denton
9. Greig Laidlaw
10. Finn Russell
11. Tim Visser
12. Duncan Taylor
13. Mark Bennett
14. Tommy Seymour
15. Stuart Hogg

Replacements

16.Stuart MacInally 17. Rory Sutherland 18. Moray Low 19. Tim Swinson 20. Ryan Wilson 21. Sam Hidalgo-Clyne 22. Peter Horne 23. Sean Lamont

Wouldn't be surprised if we say Stewart McInally or Tim Swinson in the back row today, or Taylor

Strauss in on the bench

Scotland will find it hard today defensively but I think they will have too much for Italy. Good luck Scotland and their fans today

For what it's worth I think 8 is Wilson's best position, but that's like saying Dunfermline is the best part of Fife!

RDW_Scotland wrote:For what it's worth I think 8 is Wilson's best position, but that's like saying Dunfermline is the best part of Fife!

That made me snort wine out of my nose...

Good luck Scotland!

Let's bloody do it

Let's bloody do it

Good scrum Scotland!

Ffs Russell!!!

Russell...

Barclay robbed there, clearly a Scottish pen!

Classic Scotland leading to their first 3 points - the good followed by the bad.

Russell does that far too often!

Great try from very good build up play!

Forget Bennett, the real messiah is John Barclay

Much better from Scotland - Hardie putting in some huge hits

Hardie is everywhere first 15...

Very good start from Scotland!!

Italy rattled - we've got to build a lead here.

I remember the days when our lineout was good

Scotland need to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

Jeez, the 606 site is taking a pounding today. Forever loading...

I remember the days when our lineout was good

Fair play to Wilson - has a decent start!

We need to keep Italy in their half - their lineout is rattled

We've got to have clear daylight by halftime - we can't have Italy being within a score with 10 to go

Not like that!!

Great scrummage!

Such a Squint line-out from Italy!

Been a rather entertaining game so far. Come on Scotland

Set peice is on toast, Scotland a little fortunate to still be getting the scrum decisions, but they are clearly dominant.

Since that 2nd try theyve switched off, Italy score next and the 2nd halfs going to be a battle, I'm just wondering if that high intensity 25 mins with a slick offloading game, and high ball in play time hasn't hurt the Scots as much as the Itlians.

WP Nel looks like he can't breathe, and is waddling around the park right now.

Unable to watch this one with two toddlers demanding dinner:

1 how are we playing please?
2 stand out howlers/good performances?
3 will we win this? No, seriously, will we?

George Carlin wrote:Unable to watch this one with two toddlers demanding dinner:

1 how are we playing please?
2 stand out howlers/good performances?
3 will we win this? No, seriously, will we?

1 - well but switched off and let Italy back in
2 Jonny and Hardie standouts.
3 - 7 points ahead but would have been more comfortable if laildlaw had kicked a penalty on half time. Italy still in it!

1. Pretty well, superb 25 mins, high intensity, looked slick. Considerably slower in the last 10 mins.

2. Russells missed touch, his passing is weirdly flat whether anyone is there or not.

3. I'd say so, I think there will be more points, but I think Scotlnd should have enough to keep ITaly in their rear vue mirror.

Scotland probably have to score first now...

It's the old cliche - next score is crucial!

How was that not our scrum pen?

Parrisse is a moron, he had 2 opportunities to play that ball away from a scrum and opted to keep the ball in to a creaking scrum, what is he thinking???

The decision to choose a scrum in first half was ludicrous too

Restarts!!!

RDW_Scotland wrote:Restarts!!!

Under a high ball in general, must be infuriating from a Scot perspective

A man of Ford's size shouldn't be getting held up I'm contact

Italy deserve a pumping here...

It's like watching U12's play, handing out territory and posession in their own half

Question here is can Scotland keep this up when the bench comes on? I'm not convinced!

Peyper, if the scrum creeps along a white line it isn't going forward, and Scotlands back 5 are doing exactly what England did to Wales, and walking around.

Barclay and Hardie working well. Hardie shaving it at the mo for my man of the match

Utterly needless from Russell n he should have left that ruck well alone!

We get a yellow even though Italy are committing more penalties?????????

This is going to be a harem scarem finish, Scotland have done so well to put themselves in the driving seat with 20 to go, then a few silly decisions and it's a 6 point ball game with a man down

tigertattie wrote:We get a yellow even though Italy are committing more penalties?????????

Too many in our own 22

Italy are determined to lose this...

The softest 9 points given away while playing in their own half

Gaaah restarts!!!

Fair play to Wilson - he put in a decent shift

Huge defense

Wilson was pretty decent to his credit!