SCOTLAND kick-started their Six Nations campaign with their first championship win over Italy in three years, although it was beer and sandwiches stuff rather than the champagne and caviar fare that was on the fans' wish list. Chris Paterson kicked 11 points, Godman added a penalty and a conversion and the two tries came courtesy of Simon Danielli and substitute flanker Scott Gray.
Other than the scores, the game had precious little to commend it. The ball spent too much time in the heavens above Murrayfield as neither side trusted themselves to attack from deep with the ball in hand.
In pictures: Scotland 26 - 6 Italy If Scotland were a little pedantic as they struggled to rebuild their broken confidence, at least they finished much the stronger side. In contrast Italy were truly woeful; a bad joke that no-one has the heart to laugh at any more. With the Scotland scrummage once again an immovable object thanks to Euan Murray's welcome return, there was no area in the game that the Italians enjoyed the upper hand unless slapstick comedy counts.
The Azzurri brought all the savagery of a dead goldfish to their attack, passes went anywhere and everywhere except to the intended recipient; one stray ball even nutmegged a hapless winger. If it hadn't been for the sublime skills of skipper Sergio Parisse and the warrior spirit of Mauro Bergamasco, the score might have been a landslide. The visitors were restricted to a first-half drop goal from No.8 Parisse (eat you heart out Zinzan Brooke) and a second-half penalty from Luke McLean which was never going to be enough; whatever headaches Frank Hadden suffers are as nothing to Nick Mallett's migraine.
Scotland were the better team, and they grew in confidence as the game progressed, but they still didn't look entirely comfortable with what they were trying to achieve. The Scots made too many individual mistakes and they lacked a little cohesion as a team. A better side would have scored more tries in the final quarter of the match when the Italians all but capitulated. In fact a better team did and Scotland have to play Ireland in two weeks time. At least, with a win under their belts, the Scots will approach their final two fixtures in better spirits.
The home side's frayed nerves were soothed by two early Paterson penalties although he was only on the pitch as a blood replacement for Phil Godman. When the starting No.10 missed a straightforward penalty a little later the Scottish medical staff must have been tempted to take a scalpel to Godman's wound and produce a little more blood.
Paterson eventually took over at fullback from Hugo Southwell in the second half and not before time because the starting XV looked badly out of sorts. He wasn't alone. Mike Blair endured one of his less memorable matches in a Scotland shirt. He was caught at the base of the breakdown on more than one occasion and Blair's insistence on crabbing a few steps sideways before releasing his backline only reduces their space. He gave way to his old rival Chris Cusiter with 25 minutes still to play.
But even Blair's wayward service couldn't prevent Scotland's opening try which arrived at an opportune moment, just before the break. Alastair Kellock claimed an attacking lineout just inside the Italian half, Godman plucked a pass off his boots and switched with Graeme Morrison who fed the right winger hitting the gap at pace. Danielli lit the burners and swerved outside and then in again for a superb score straight from the training ground.
The big winger deservedly won the man of the match award and not just for his attacking prowess. The same man cleared up a first-half shambles when Southwell's limp pass was intercepted by Alessandro Zanni. After gifting the Italians two interception tries on their last visit to Murrayfield, it must have looked like lightning was going to strike for a third time before Danielli made the all-important saving tackle on the flanker.
Had the winger scored a second try in the second half it would have been a perfect afternoon's work for Danielli but, to the amazement of everyone concerned, including Danielli himself, the speedster was reeled in by Italian flyhalf McLean.
Still, he wasn't finished and the Ulster winger instigated Scotland's second try when he combined with his fellow flyer Thom Evans on the left flank before the Glasgow man popped a pass to Gray who only had to hold on and flop over the line.
Late in the game the Scots should have underlined their superiority on the board but, apart from Paterson's third and final penalty, they failed to do so. Cusiter thought he had scored after a barrelling run up the middle of the park by prop Ally Dickinson, but the final pass was forward. Italy also had their best chance of five points of the match when Parisse sent Mauro Bergamasco screaming towards the Scotland line from a blindside move. The flanker chipped the last man but Gray beat him to the ball and kept the Scotland line intact.
Instead of scores, a multitude of injuries to the Scotland front row meant that Kelly Brown took to the field as a prop. Even the Melrose man isn't that versatile so the remaining scrums went uncontested but then again there were very few areas of this match that Italy contested as an true international side should.
Scotland: H Southwell (Paterson 47), S Danielli, M Evans, G Morrison (De Luca 67), T Evans; P Godman, M Blair (C Cusiter 55); A Jacobsen (A Dickinson R Ford (D Hall 52), E Murray (Jacobsen 62)(Brown 67) J White, A Kellock, A Strokosch, J Barclay (S Gray 56), S Taylor.
Italy: A Marcato (G Rubini 48), Mirco Bergamasco, G Canale, G Garcia (Bacchetti 4) M Pratichetti; L McLean, P Griffen (P Cabavosio 56); S Perugini, L Ghiraldini (F Sbaraglini 62), M Castrogiovanni (C Nieto 62), S Dellape (C Del Fava 57), M Bortolami (J Sole 76), A Zanni, Mirco Bergamasco, S Parisse.
Scorers: Scotland – Tries: Danielli, Gray. Conversions: Godman, Paterson. Penalties: Paterson (3), Godman.
Italy – Penalty: McLean. Drop goal: Parisse.
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Attendance: 51,309
Danielli hopes try show is start of an Indian summerSIMON Danielli hopes his man-of-the-match performance against Italy in the RBS Six Nations is the start of an Indian summer to his career.
The 29-year-old Scotland winger scored a blistering first-half try and set up another for Scott Gray in the second period as Scotland broke their Six Nations duck.
It was Danielli's first try for Scotland since he touched down in the Calcutta Cup match of 2004 and marked a welcome end to an injury-ravaged period for the former Borders wing. He said: "I'm fairly happy with my career so far but I don't want to look back with any regrets. I'm not going to moan and groan about anything that has happened to me, such as injuries, because that is part of the game.
"I've definitely feel I've got more to give and I want to fulfil my potential because even though I'm now in my late 20s I don't think I've done that.
"It's been good at Ulster since I went there. We weren't winning at the start but it's picked up now and it's a great place to play."
Danielli was restored to the team for the match against France last month but made a couple of errors which were highlighted.
"I dropped a couple of passes in Paris and if it hadn't been for that then I probably would have felt I had had a good game. But that's how fickle international rugby is."
Italy head coach Nick Mallett claimed his side were on the wrong end of some 50-50 decisions by Nigel Owens but refused to blame the referee for his side's third straight defeat in the tournament.
"I don't like talking about refereeing decisions straight after the game, because it's very difficult to see exactly where there have been mistakes," Mallett said.
"I'm certainly not complaining about the referee and I'm not saying that was the reason we lost the game. That was not the case.
"But I think on two or three occasions I saw at half-time for example, there were two or three penalties that were given against us that I felt were a bit harsh. These are 50-50 calls that went against us but they didn't make the difference between winning and losing."
Man by manSCOTLAND
15. Hugo Southwell 6
Edinburgh
His huge boot caused Italy all sorts of problems and he ran well out of defence, but a loose pass nearly gave Italy an interception try.
14. Simon Danielli 8
Ulster
Accused one minute of play-acting by the referee, scored a try the next, and very nearly got another, as well as putting in a try-saving tackle at the other end. RBS Man of the Match.
13. Max Evans 7
Glasgow
Hungry to get his hands on the ball though he didn't see as much of it as he'd have liked. He and his brother bring such an injection of pace and excitement to the game that the other backs are infected by their belief.
12. Graeme Morrison 7
Glasgow
Acquitted himself well, with one or two very smart moves, including the pass that led to Scotland's first try, and a couple of bursts up the middle with intent.
11. Thom Evans 7
Glasgow
Like his brother, desperate to get his hands on the ball, and when he did he came so close himself, but his one-handed offload to Scott Gray made sure of the score. His pace proved pivotal.
10. Phil Godman 7
Edinburgh
Off for a blood injury within seconds, replaced by Paterson, back on, missed one penalty, but thereafter proved to be in control and for a period had the game entirely in his own hands.
9. Mike Blair 7
Edinburgh
Led from the front, as usual, his determination shining from every pore, though he did lose the ball once or twice under pressure, but his kicking and passing were generally first rate.
1. Allan Jacobsen 7
Edinburgh
Part of the extremely successful Scottish scrum, and did a power of work in the loose. Off and on again for wounds received in the heat of battle. Finally had to retire from the fray in 67 minutes.
2. Ross Ford 6
Edinburgh
Throwing in at the lineout still a bit iffy, but his work rate in the loose cannot be faulted and his willingness to throw himself into the war zone that is the front of the scrum is nothing short of heroic.
3. Euan Murray 7
Northampton
Another mainstay of the unmentionable shenanigans that are scrums, he helped keep the Italians in their place at the set piece, and showed his mettle in and around the breakdown.
4. Jason White 6
Sale
Put in a hard shift at the coal face, his commitment as great as ever in his nation's colours. Several telling contributions at ruck and maul against a powerful Italian pack keen to prove a point.
5. Alastair Kellock 7
Glasgow
Seemed to be the guy to go to when the going got tough, and then he got going. Showed signs of having real leadership potential in his attitude to his fellow forwards and his hunger to push hard and fast.
6. Alasdair Strokosch 7
Gloucester
Here, there and everywhere in a good showing all over the pitch. His return to the pack has put more punch into the scrums and his speed in the loose is an advantage.
7. John Barclay 6
Glasgow
Another integral part of what is becoming a scrum to be reckoned with, and another player with enough vision to be in the right place at the right time to help give some space to the backs.
8. Simon Taylor 6
Stade Francais
Made the hard yards, as he always does, but a little indiscipline kept Italy optimistic at times. A couple of good runs up the middle helped push Scotland on and his willingness to put his body on the line remains.
REPLACEMENTS16. Dougie Hall Glasgow (for Ford, 52) Took over the throwing duties well. 7
17. Alasdair Dickinson Gloucester (for Jacobsen, 63) One stonking run nearly brought a try. 7
18. Kelly Brown Glasgow (for Jacobsen, 67) Keen to come to grips with the enemy. 6
19. Scott Gray Northampton (for Barclay, 56) Scored the second try. 7
20. Chris Cusiter Perpignan (for Blair, 55) Nearly crossed the line, and generally put himself about to good effect. 6
21. Chris Paterson Edinburgh (for Godman, 3; for Southwell, 47) Kicked two penalties in his few minutes at stand-off, then later took over at fullback. 8
22. Nick De Luca Edinburgh (for Morrison, 67) A couple of good runs. 6
ITALY
15. Andrea Marcato 5
Benetton Treviso
Normally a stand-off but controversially selected at full-back yesterday. He kicked well and ran out of defence but that was all.
14. Mirco Bergamasco 7
Stade Francais
In fine fettle, spirited attempts both to take his team forward and to spoil whatever Scotland were trying to do, as well as putting in a try-saving tackle which prevented a sure Scotland try.
13. Gonzalo Canale 6
Clermont-Auvergne
Always dangerous with the ball in hand, several bursting runs causing all sorts of panic in the Scots' defence, and his understanding with Rubini meant danger.
12. Gonzalo Garcia 0
Calvisano
Was on the field for only three minutes before receiving an injury in the tackle and having to be replaced by Andrea Bacchetti.
11. Matteo Pratichetti 5
Calvisano
Put in some telling tackles, made his presence felt in the rough stuff around the fringes but failed to put in one of the tackles that really mattered as Simon Danielli scorched past him to score.
10. Luke McLean 6
Calvisano
Had his kicking boots on for the most part, and his tackle at pace on Simon Danielli saved a certain try, but it was a struggle for McLean who plays full-back for his club in the Italian league.
9. Paul Griffen 5
Calvisano
Startling quantities of hirsute appendages on his face didn't prevent him having moments of brilliance, but also moments of missed chances and most of all missed tackles.
1. Salvatore Perugini 5
Stade Toulousain
Did a lot of lurking on the sidelines to some effect, ready to leap into the fray that is the scrum, though he had no real answer to Scotland's front row which dominated throughout.
2. Leonardo Ghiraldini 5
Calvisano
Threw well enough at the lineout, but was a bit lost in the set scrums, and failed to shine in the loose, and even though his work rate appeared high, the rewards weren't forthcoming.
3. Martin Castrogiovanni 6
Leicester
A fine example of a front rower who never gives up, but he was up against a Scottish scrum working well, and all his experience at the sharp end didn't help him.
4. Santiago Dellape 5
Toulon
Second row stalwart, but seemed a little out of touch, just a shade behind the pace on some occasions. The Italian forwards are a defensive unit to be reckoned with, and the No.4 is a big part of that usually.
5. Marco Bortolami 6
Gloucester
Restored to the team after injury, it was another spirited performance from this wily and experienced campaigner, without whom Italy's defeat would probably have been far greater.
6. Alessandro Zanni 6
Calvisano
Had one run which looked like yielding a try until man-of-the-match Danielli hauled him down yards short of the line. One of Italy's few potent attacking threats.
7. Mauro Bergamasco 6
Stade Francais
Back in his comfort zone in the back row, he tried his heart out, but was frustrated at every turn. Showed plenty of his customary warrior spirit but, on this occasion, it was not enough.
8. Sergio Parisse 7
Stade Francais
Simon Taylor's club-mate led by example, appeared everywhere and, remarkably, kicked a drop goal – not bad going for a back-row forward. Also enjoyed a couple of storming runs.
REPLACEMENTS16. Franco Sbaraglini Benetton Treviso (for Ghiraldini, 57) 5
17. Carlos Nieto Gloucester (for Castrogiovanni, 40) 5
18. Carlo Antonio Del Fava Ulster (for Delappy, 56). 4
19. Pablo Canavosio Viadana (for Griffen, 56) 6
20. Josh Sole Viadana (for Bortolami, 40) 5
21. Andrea Bacchetti Rovigo (for Garcia, 3) . 6
22. Giulio Rubini Cariparma (for Marcato, 40) 5
The full article contains 2795 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
