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Rory Best expresses sympathy for England captain Dylan Hartley
Over to you, England, as Wales kick on towards Six Nations title
And, if you're still thirsty for more rugby...
You can follow our man on the ground, Tristan Barclay(@tbarclayESPN), who'll be giving us his live updates straight from the match in Rome. ESPN's preview can be read HERE.
ITALY XV: Odiete, Sarto, Campagnaro, Garcia, Bellini, Haimona, Gori; Lovotti, Ghiraldini, Cittadini, Fuser, Furno, Minto, Zanni, Parisse (captain)
Replacements: Giazzon, Zanusso, Castrogiovanni, Bernabo, Van Schalkwyk, Palazzani, Padovani, Pratichetti
SCOTLAND XV: Hogg, Seymour, Bennett, Taylor, Visser, Russell, Laidlaw (captain); Dickinson, Ford, Nel, R Gray, J Gray, Barclay, Hardie, Wilson (late replacement for Denton)
Replacements: McInally, Sutherland, Low, Swinson, Wilson, Hidalgo-Clyne, Horne, Lamont
Hello and welcome to ESPN's live commentary of the Six Nations clash between Italy and Scotland!
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And we're underway here in Rome. Italy's Haimona has kicked us into action!
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Scotland have comfortably taken the possession of the ball during the opening phases, but Italy have done well to pin them into their own 22. They've even earnt themselves the first scrum.
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After forcing another scrum further infield, the Italian's have initiated their first assault of the afternoon by slowly but surely bashing their way into Scottish territory.
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And, we've got another scrum. Third alreadt -- let's hope this doesn't continue otherwise we're in for a slow afternoon...
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Great push from the Scottish pack earnt them their first penalty kick. However, Finn Russell punts for the lineout, but it's not long enough and Italy's fullback has caught it. Time for another Italian push.
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3 - 0 |
Kelly Haimona makes the first kick and adds the first three points to the board.
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3 - 5 |
SCOTLAND TRY!
Brilliant by Cotter's side. Perfect with their passing accuracy and lovely feet from Hogg opens up the path for John Barclay to drive home the first try down their left flank. Kelly Haimona stopped the threatening Hogg, but they couldn't keep out the Scottish No.6.
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3 - 7 |
Laidlaw - conversion
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| 12 |
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Italy on the push again as they have the lineout down their right flank. Be interesting to see how they bounce back from that set back.
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Handling error from Lorenzo Cittadini gifts the ball back to Scotland. The away side have to make these mistakes pay.
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Bash, barge, bash, barge. Neither side managing to make much ground at the minute, with the ball struggling to escape the half way line. Scotland the ones with the ball in hand right now, though...
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3 - 12 |
SCOTLAND TRY!
Jordan Hardie scores for Scotland! Laidlaw picks the ball up from the ruck, delivers to Russell, who breaks the line before offloading left. After a couple of more easy passes, Hardie's the man on the left touch line to drive it home. Cotter's side starting to owe power the Italian's here...
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3 - 14 |
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Scotland lineout...
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Italian scrum...
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And now the Italian penalty after Nel is penalised for collapsing in the scrum.
They've kicked this for the lineout down their right flank. Slow couple of minutes to report on.
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But, it's not long before we're back into scrummaging. Scotland penalised for a knock on and Gori feeds for Italy.
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We're still stuck with the scrums here...
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3 - 17 |
Finally a bit of excitement, if you can call it that. Scotland have been given the penalty -- within kicking distance for Laidlaw -- after Gori's been penalised for not rolling away on the deck.
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Great kick from Laidlaw, fairly helpful angle but it was still about 40m's out.
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Another scrum, this time to be fed by the Italian scrumhalf Gori. Just inside the Scottish half.
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Fortunately it doesn't need a reset, and Italy are working it well down their line. Threatening, fast attack here, could be a try...
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8 - 17 |
ITALY TRY!
And it is just that! Really good bit of interplay between Kelly Haimona and eventual tryscorer Leonardo Ghiraldini has put the Italian's back in it. First time the home side have attacked with real energy and pace, and they've shown exactly what they can do. Good stuff.
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10 - 17 |
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Back to pack vs. pack in the cente of he pitch. Gori to feed, again.
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Penalty given to Italy, and they've gone for another scrum.
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Reset required...
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Italian guilty of not driving straight, and Russell's booted it long and out for the deep lineout.
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Cotter's side have taken the lineout down well and are using the ball with intent here. They've worked it just inside the Italian 22.
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Ah, shame for Scotland as Russell's penalised for not releasing. Italy penalty and a chance to release that mounting Scottish pressure.
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Italy back to being the side on the front foot, but after a moment of nice, encouraging attacking Italian play,the referee's brought it down for a scrum due a Scottish knock on.
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Scrum results in another Scottish penalty. Italy losing the scrum here, need to step up. Laidlaw to kick and add the extra points before half time.
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Missed it! Very tight angle and far out so the scrumhalf can be forgiven. Cotter will be relatively happy with a seven point advantage at half time.
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ESPN's Tristan Barclay -- who is in Rome -- had this to say:
"That was about as entertaining a half of rugby as the fans inside the Stadio Olimpico could expect from Italy and Scotland. Kelly Haimona made the mistake of scoring first for the Italians, which seemed to wake the Scots from their Six Nations slumber to produce 20 minutes of excellent attacking rugby. There were shades of their best World Cup efforts in the way they moved the ball quickly with a fearless passing game. Finn Russell's technical abilities have stood out, while John Hardie has been getting through a pile work in the back row. Italy struck back through hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini, but Scotland have resisted the urge to panic... so far."
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| 40+3 |
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We're back underway here in Rome.
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Superb kicking from Finn Russell into the corner, which is chased down by Seymour, who forces the collecting Sarto into touch. Great stuff from Cotter's men.
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First scrum of the second half, with Gori to feed for Italy.
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| 44 |
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Well, that's a couple of minutes we won't be getting back. Scrum problems, reset required, and both sets of forwards are setting up for another shove.
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10 - 20 |
Italy concede the penalty and a chance for Laidlaw to kick a few points.
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Laidlaw makes the kick from 31m. Extends the lead to 10 points!
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| 48 |
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Italy responding well from that minor set back, with Gori the man at the fore bursting into the Scottish 22. They aren't far off the try line here. In similar fashion to how they scored their first half try, they're pushing with real energy. Seem to come alive and step up a couple of gears when they get close to their opponents 22.
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13 - 20 |
Penalty given to Italy! Right under the sticks and it's an easy three points.
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And we're back to the scrums. Italy to feed. These seem to be Italy's worst nightmare. Really slows down their momentum, and Scotland's pack are completely overpowering them, too.
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13 - 23 |
Penalty to Scotland after Italy are penalised -- yet again -- at the scrum. Laidlaw makes the kick.
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Italy poach the ball off Scotland's high kick -- injuring Seymour in the process -- before romping down his channel with Parisse the man with the ball in hand. Good bit of ground made there, but we now await another scrum.
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Scotland penalty now as Italy's No.6 is penalised for tackling off his feet. Chance for another three for Laidlaw.
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13 - 26 |
Laidlaw - penalty goal
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Italy returning those three points with an attack of their own. They're building well, but right now they're still a few yards shy of the Scottish 22.
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Up to phase 14, and they're in the 22 now...
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| 61 |
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Parisse makes a charge for it and his side are now five metres away...
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18 - 26 |
And Finn Russell's been given a yellow for hands in the ruck. This could be pivotal. Italy need to make these next 10 minutes pay with the extra body.
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20 - 26 |
ITALY TRY!
They do exactly that! Just moments after Russell's yellow, the Italian's have continued to push hard in the Scottish 22, and have now got their rewards for it. Fuser the one to take full credit for it!
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| 64 |
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And they've gifted Scotland another penalty kick. The Azzurri have been penalised for tackling of their feet, exactly what they should have been trying not to do. Laidlaw teeing it up.
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20 - 29 |
Scotland struggling to take any of the restarts as Parisse makes the jump and takes from the air. Another opportunity to build for Italy as they're within touching distance of their opponents 22.
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Italian scrum now...
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| 69 |
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Fantastic tackle on Gori from Seymour as the Italian's looked for the try line once emerging from that most recent scrum. Tempers flaring here a tad now, too. Referee's brought play back for a penalty from 5m...
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Italy really threatening. They could do with Finn Russell back on the pitch. Only a few seconds left until they can welcome him back.
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Scrum for Scotland!
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And they've won the penalty! Chance to boot upfield and release that mounting Italian pressure. Sigh of relief for Cotter's side.
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| 73 |
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And Scotland have won another penalty off that Italian lineout as Valerio Bernabo is penalised for taking the man out.
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| 74 |
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Scotland penalised for not releasing -- just inside the Italian 22 -- and have got the penalty. Kicked for the lineout.
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Nel intercepts an Italian pass and knocks on deliberately. He's been sent to the bin and Italy have got the lineout deep in Scottish territory.
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20 - 34 |
Scotland have pushed and pushed, making their way back into Italian ground. They're pushing with real urgency here, if you didn't know the scoreline it'd look like they were losing...
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20 - 36 |
SCOTLAND TRY!
SEYMOUR! Great offload from Hogg to Seymour down the right flank. Superb, classy play from Scotland. Great game management from Laidlaw.
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| 79 |
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Scotland still can't catch the restart, but Italy are also guilty of knocking on. Scrum now, and in the meantime, Laidlaw has deservedly been given man of the match.
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| 80 |
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And Scotland have won another penalty off the scrum. Italy penalised for not driving straight. It's game over!
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| 80+1 |
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ESPN's Tristan Barclay had this to say straight from Rome:
"Scotland never do things the easy way. After putting themselves in a strong position for the win at half-time, Vern Cotter's men appeared to be doing everything they could to chuck it all away in Rome. Finn Russell and WP Nel were both yellow carded while Italy, unusually, managed to keep all 15 men on the pitch. Better teams would have punished the Scots in either of those sin bin periods, but Scotland clung on and Tommy Seymour's late try finally put the result beyond doubt. Entertaining for the neutral. A nightmare, I'm sure, for the Tartan Army!"
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