The last time Turin witnessed larceny on this scale, the culprits made off in a fleet of souped-up Mini Coopers. Which is not to say that Scotland did not deserve to win this match in northern Italy, rather that they were reduced to smash-and-grab tactics to secure it. Their overriding sentiment at the end was relief, but to complete the cinematic analogy it would be fair to say that the World Cup futures of a few Scots were hanging over a cliff-edge at that point.
Peter Horne could feel satisfied with the injection of pace and alacrity he brought when he replaced Richie Vernon at centre 13 minutes from the finish. Hamish Watson had a similarly galvanising effect on the forward effort when he took over from John Hardie, and there was a lovely cameo by Henry Pyrgos, another replacement, who collected his third international try in 14 appearances and may well have bumped himself up the scrum-half pecking order in the process.
But there was a depressing ordinariness about so much of Scotland’s performance. In that, at least, they were matched by the uninspired Italians, although the overall effect was we were watching a petty dispute by squabbling neighbours from the wrong end of the Six Nations street. Their World Cup pool opponents will not be losing sleep after watching their tapes of the game.
In fairness, a good number of the Scots — and all the Italians — were playing their first games in months. Vern Cotter, the Scotland coach, also used the occasion to blood five new players, three in the starting line-up (Rory Hughes, Stuart McInally and John Hardie) and two off the bench (Willem Nel and Damien Hoyland), and he could be satisfied with the performances of that quintet. Nel, the South African prop who became eligible on residence grounds only recently, put in a 30-minute shift that did nothing to dispel the suspicion that he will be the first-choice tight-head prop by the time the World Cup gets underway.
The fact that the brightest lights in Scotland’s otherwise low-watt performance all seemed to be bench players might reflect the strength Cotter had retained in that area, although it might also measure the fact that the game, horribly stodgy for the first hour, was starting to break up by that point. Certainly, Horne put himself through gaps that simply weren’t there when Vernon was on the pitch, but Cotter is clearly warming to a player who could, if required, fit into the fly-half role.
Advertisement
“Peter has got good feet, good timing, and is a second play maker so we can shift our play a bit wider when he comes on,” said the coach. “I thought he did that well and he took a couple of short balls that surprised them. He has a high work rate and his accuracy is getting better. He helped Henry [Pyrgos] coming on and they both offered something different.
“Peter has worked hard on his game, is playing well and he offers us a different form of player. It is good to be able to change and have those combinations. We know we don’t have massive resources so it is good to see these guys putting their hands up.”
A few more will be pleading for attention over the next few days. All the indications are the big names Cotter has held back up to this point will finally be given an outing in the return match against Italy at Murrayfield on Saturday. Jonny Gray, the lock, and Mark Bennett, the centre, were specifically mentioned by Cotter in that regard, but other frontline players who need game time include Stuart Hogg, Sean Maitland, Tommy Seymour and Finn Russell.
Yet for all their rustiness and edginess, and for all that they failed to build momentum or manage their phase play, Scotland did at least end a six-game losing streak and the confidence they take from that alone could be more significant than any other detail of their performance.
“We found a way to win,” said the clearly relieved Cotter. “The score was very similar to the score we had [against Italy in the Six Nations] a few months ago. It is very important to build on this next week. Rugby is a construction game. You put the pieces together and build them. You lay foundations.
Advertisement
“To come through a game and lose narrowly, as we did against Ireland last week, and win this week is satisfying. But it could have gone either way so need to improve, be more accurate. We can perform better.”
Scorers: Italy: Penalty goals: Garcia (17), Allan 3 (24, 40, 61). Scotland: Try: Pyrgos (73). Conversion: Weir (74). Penalty goals: Weir 3 (3, 12, 19).
Scoring sequence (Italy first): 0-3, 0-6, 3-6, 3-9, 6-9, 9-9 (half-time), 12-9, 12-14, 12-16.
Italy: A Masi; G Venditti, T Benvenuti (L McLean 67), G Garcia (C Canna 75), L Sarto; T Allan, G Palazzani; M Aguero (M Rizzo 48), D Giazzon (L Ghiraldini 48), L Cittadini (M Castrogiovanni 48), Q Geldenhuys (capt), V Bernabo (M Bortolami 51), A Zanni, F Minto, S Vunisa.
Scotland: G Tonks; S Lamont, R Vernon (P Horne 67), M Scott, R Hughes (D Hoyland 62); D Weir, S Hidalgo-Clyne (H Pyrgos 61); G Reid, S McInally, M Cusack (WP Nel 46), R Gray, J Hamilton, A Strokosch (capt), J Hardie (H Watson 55), A Ashe.
Advertisement
Referee: J P Doyle.
Attendance: 16,000.