Scotland suffer Six Nations disaster as Italy secure sensational win in rainy Rome
Scotland’s Six Nations campaign has got off to a poor start, with Italy winning 18-15 on a rainy afternoon in Rome to secure victory.
The visitors went into the showdown hoping to emulate France, who overcame Ireland in their opening fixture on Thursday night.
However, Italy produced a resilient performance to reign supreme and enjoy a sensational start to this year’s tournament.
It will be a bitter pill for Gregor Townsend to swallow, especially given how his team fought their way back into contention.
Italy were the better of the two teams in the early stages, with the home side roared on by a raucous crowd inside the Stadio Olimpico.
A grubber kick into space found Louis Lynagh, with the Italian going over the line before Paolo Garbisi missed his conversion.
Sensing blood, the hosts then didn’t let up.
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Lynagh was involved in their second try, with the 25-year-old beating Tom Jordan to a high ball.
A neat passage of play then paved the way for Tommaso Menoncello to race down the left touchline to double his side’s tries for the day.
Garbisi then made no mistake with his kick.
With Italy 12-0 up, Scotland needed something special to get themselves back into the mix.
Jack Dempsey provided it, with the Glasgow Warriors star crossing the line to give his side hope.
Scotland cut the deficit further via Finn Russell’s conversion.
