Scotland vs Italy - time to get serious - build up thread

[R!skysports]

First topic message reminder :

Well we have had our first kick in the teeth for 2013, with a terrible performance against a strong England. Can we turn it around in time for Italy. Only two changes, both forced by injury. If this a good thing, or a sign of managers without a clue

Team for Saturday

Scotland team to play Italy:
Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors);
Sean Maitland (Glasgow Warriors),
Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors),
Matt Scott (Edinburgh),
Tim Visser (Edinburgh);
Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors),
Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh);
Ryan Grant (Glasgow Warriors),
Ross Ford (Edinburgh),
Euan Murray (Worcester Warriors),
Richie Gray (Sale Sharks),
Jim Hamilton (Gloucester),
Rob Harley (Glasgow Warriors),
Kelly Brown (Saracens),
Johnnie Beattie (Montpellier).

Replacements: Dougie Hall (Glasgow Warriors)/Pat MacArthur (Glasgow Warriors), Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors), Geoff Cross (Edinburgh Rugby), Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors), David Denton (Edinburgh Rugby), Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors), Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors), Max Evans (Castres).


Who should be on last chance saloon - Hamilton, Ford, Jackson and Lamont.


Concerned - Brown playing at 7 still


So how do you expect this to go. If italy play like they did at the weekend, we will lose. It is in our hands to get ourselves our of this mess, but do we have the passion, defensive ability or even the still to do so?


Current Italy Squad

15-Andrea Masi,
14-Giovanbattista Venditti,
13-Tommaso Benvenuti,
12-Gonzalo Canale,
11-Luke McLean,
10-Luciano Orquera,
9-Tobias Botes;
1-Andrea Lo Cicero,
2-Leonardo Ghiraldini,
3-Martin Castrogiovanni,
4-Quintin Geldenhuys,
5-Francesco Minto,
6-Alessandro Zanni,
7-Simone Favaro,
8-Sergio Parisse (capt)

Replacements: 16-Davide Giazzon, 17-Alberto De Marchi, 18-Lorenzo Cittadini, 19-Antonio Pavanello, 20-Paul Derbyshire, 21-Kris Burton, 22-Gonzalo Garcia

[mystiroakey]

SCOTLAND !!

well played lads.. new you looked better last week whatever the score line- england have just gone up 3 levels in quality!

[thebluesmancometh]

What is wrong with Ford, he looks so laboured and very wary at the breakdown!!!

[nathan]

Yellow card now.....

[thebluesmancometh]

Burton has made a difference!!

[valjester]

Oh dear. Good Italian attacking opportunity lost. I would like to see more clout from the Azzuri...this is getting a bit one-sided now. Compared to last week...what's happened? It's the same side isn't it?

They have real problems with travelling. I also think Brunel has got the tactics wrong today, its all well and good to attack the whole time, but kicking when you are not making any ground is acceptable and Italy have failed to do that today. They have looked clueless in attack, and Scotland have been excellent at the breakdown, even if the ref has been a bit inconsistent there.

[mystiroakey]

5 tries in two gamnes for scotland-

[ChequeredJersey]

Only seen 10 mins but both teams seem to be looking to attack which is good. Well done Scotland

[bsando]

HAHAHA that was hilarious! Biggest vs smallest

[Cari]

Val - as I said earlier, will Italy be the kind of side that don't travel very well? doesn't bode well for Wales mind...we're visiting them this season!

Shocking lineout Scotland.

Richie Gray has a really '80s hairdo.

[ChequeredJersey]

Could really do with a Zanni or Beattie try

[ChequeredJersey]

Good call on the forward pass

[Cari]

Scott could've got a hat trick today...forward pass lets him down this time.

[wales606]

Italy are really terrible, only one team been in this game

[ChequeredJersey]

Poor Italy...

[nathan]

This ref is awful, how many pens do Scotland need to give away in the red zone before they get someone carded!

[thebluesmancometh]

How was Lamont not pinged there?

[Cari]

Schlong over for the fourth Scottish try - an easy one. Can't stand that finger pointing business though. I wish players wouldn't do it.

34-3 at 69 minutes.

[valjester]

Val - as I said earlier, will Italy be the kind of side that don't travel very well? doesn't bode well for Wales mind...we're visiting them this season!

Shocking lineout Scotland.

Richie Gray has a really '80s hairdo.

Look through their history, they are always hopeless away from home. They really need to work on it, because they are unlikely to progress much further without fixing this problem.

[mattygoat]

English guy now feeling foolish for backing Italy at -1 here

[ChequeredJersey]

Come on Zanni try off a maul...

[Cari]

Evans on for Hoggy...why? He's fine. Leave him be, there's only 8 minutes left.

[Barney McGrew did it]

Italy – snarling tigers at home, toothless Cat cats away.

I think the 6N needs to be handicapped – Italy only play their games in Italy.

[wales606]

Come on Zanni try off a maul...

There you go!

[nathan]

Lovely pass by praises.

[Cari]

Zanni gets Italy's (likely only) try!!!

34-10 at 74 minutes.

[ChequeredJersey]

Ah, at least I get some points from this match

[Cari]

Laidlaw is MOTM.

[nathan]

Scotland certainly deserve there win. Italy haven't played well though, although Scotland should of had a player binned.

[George Carlin]

Italy deserved a try for all that pressure.

[wales606]

Wales' trip to Italy is looking less scary

Italy have looked terrible at defending a counterattack - we just need to get North/Cuthbert through some tackles and break the Italian defence.

[Cari]

That must be disconcerting for the visitors...everyone cheering when the clock hits 80 and the pipes start...

...and a yellow card for Scotland...what's the point!?

[tatterd]

uh-oh. We (Wales) will be bottom of the table tonight. Only team on 0 points. Oh well. PS well done Scotland

[nathan]

Well done ref, finally the yellow card. Wonder if someone reminded him he gave Scotland a warning 6 penalties ago.

[Cari]

Good save McLean!

FT 34-10 after 81 minutes.

[nathan]

Wales' trip to Italy is looking less scary

Italy have looked terrible at defending a counterattack - we just need to get North/Cuthbert through some tackles and break the Italian defence.

Italy are alto better at home. You should still be worried!

[bsando]

COME ON!!!!

Well Done Scotland!!! Bring on Ireland in 2 weeks!!!!!

[thebluesmancometh]

Pity that game was so one sided, I thought the Eng Scot game was awfull last week because of exactlly the same thing.

[tigertattie]

Laidlaw as motm???

Scott for me, and that was before his try.

Still. Well done to the team.

[wales606]

Euan Murray made 15 tackles apparently. That's impressive for a THP - is he still a Lions contender?

[TJ1]

A much better Scotland performance. Dogged in defence and much better at the breakdown.

Harley was good I thought. Did what he was selected for. Laidlaw showed his class as did Hogg the read on the intercept was tremendous. Lamont - has ever a player of so little talent tried so very very hard? Deserved his try. Scrum held up well even maybe getting on top towards the end.

Scotlands backs now begin to look really dangerous. We are scoring tries

[alive555]

harley was motm for me

he is a monster work rate incredible

everyone played well

our backs were v good !

[TJ1]

Just reading the stats on
http://www.espnscrum.com/six-nations-2013/rugby/match/133785.html
17 turnovers conceded by Italy - thats what cost them the game and that was down to Scotland pressuring them.
Italy had all the possession and territory. One heck of a tackling performance from the scots

[Cari]

Yeah they were saying about the tackles just now on the BBC...anyway...off to the other thread for the Welsh game (gulp!)...

[UlstermaninGlasgow]

Thought the Big Ginger Tackle Monster deserved MotM, but Laidlaw had good ball and gave Jackson and the rest of the backline something to work with. Maitland nearly made 3 tries for Scott and Jesus Hoggy is quick. Not Zebo quick but still quick! Thought Ford should've been hauled in about 60 mins, was blowing hard and took a knock to the head...

[alive555]

those stats show how our defence won the game.

for the first time i can remember give us half a chance we take it

maitland visser hogg

the most attacking back 3 and it all came together today

well done guys

[bsando]

harley was motm for me

he is a monster work rate incredible

everyone played well

our backs were v good !

Me too! He did very very well and deserves to start ahead of Denton again. He brought some balance to the backrow and his height really worked well in securing ball. Did exactly what everyone said he would, mucked up ball for Itlay, infuriated them, great player to have on pitch in my view. Put some good hits in too!

Another player who really deserves some credit is Hamilton. He totally upped his game from last week.

Maitland has brought so much to Scotland's backline and our counter attacking ability is just phenomenal at the moment, real strong point to Scotland's game. I think is Johnson needs to get Horne or another young fella at 13, that would really put the cherry on the cake for Scotland's backline.

[allyt2k]

Fantastic result, needed to get murrayfield singing again wouldn't make any changes, Laidlaw played well but for me MOTM would have been Harley.

[UlstermaninGlasgow]

Also, for all our criticism of Jacko, he did well today. Kicking isn't his strong point but he didn't fluff too many of them. And his hands for Visser's try... Reminded me of O'Driscoll last week vs Wales! Good distribution and made a nuisance of himself in defence.

[123456789]

Really happy with that performance, the most complete performance I've seen for years. Everything went quite well and as far as I'm concerned they can release a new single every week

[Manky-Flanker]

Great result,

To score 4 tries and miss out narrowly on another couple, is a breath of fresh air for Scotland fans.

Great to see mistakes of last week being rectified today. Hopefully Scotland can use this as a base to build from for the rest of the tournament.

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