77 minutes on the clock and the score is 19-15 to Scotland. They are deep in their own territory competing against a dominant Italian scrum, when substitute tighthead Prop, Geoff Cross, gives one last heave, and wins Scotland a penalty. That’s it, game over- if Scotland find touch now, they can secure possession on halfway from the ensuing lineout, and patiently let the clock tick by.
Scotland vs Italy: Scots Must Regroup After Home-Straight Implosion
The writing was on the wall, however, when Fly-half, Peter Horne, failed to find touch. Three minutes later and the Scottish players found themselves gazing at the Murrayfield scoreboard in shock, which read: Scotland 19-22 Italy.
For large periods of the match their forward pack was outmuscled by the Italians, and that is no embarrassment, as Italy boast a brutish front five. The scrum was on the back foot, the lineout was jittery, and, evident from the concession of the winning score, they struggled to defend the Azzuri maul legally. Despite all of this, both Jonny Gray and John Beattie performed admirably, and Blair Cowan had his best game in a Scotland shirt.
And, despite being second-best up front, they were still ahead.
How many times will unforced errors and indiscipline cost Scotland matches, and when will they learn?
Over the next fortnight you can be sure that they will be bored of hearing those words, as head coach, Vern Cotter, drills them into their heads. In his post-match interview, Captain Greig Laidlaw stated that the last thing he said to the players before they ran out was to keep their discipline. In the heat of the battle however, it seemed this thought escaped his compatriots’ minds.
Of course, it is harsh to pin the blame on Horne, but his crucial clearance kick had to find its mark, and if it had, Scotland would have won. Such small errors exemplify the Scots’ lack of experience, and they can only learn from the mistakes they made on Saturday afternoon.
On a more positive note, the Scottish backs showed incisiveness and that touch of magic that they have lacked since the 90s. Mark Bennett in particular, showed his bright future, not only with a well-taken, opportunist try, but also in his strong defence, bustling runs, and good distribution.
However, if their pack gets as dominated against England and Ireland, then it will not be a mere three point loss, as England and Ireland’s backs are far more deadly than the Italians’. In the next two weeks, Cotter will push the Scots in training, taunting them with footage of the events of Saturday afternoon in order to drive them forwards.
For said Calcutta Cup clash against England on Saturday 14th March, they will certainly be emotionally charged, but the fear is that they may retreat into their shells, adopting a style of play to limit damage rather than to win the game. Hopefully, they can forget about this defeat in a hurry, regroup quickly, and bounce back with (at least) a performance to be proud of. Perhaps they can even take advantage of a wounded England side, too.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @benjohnson197. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and @LWOSworld – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for?
