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

[thebluesmancometh]

What is Lamont doing today, keeps kicking the ball from the 9 position... GET LOST YOU LUMP!!!

[wales606]

What a complete idiot, was it the Italian 14? I would be very angry with him if I was the Italian coach

Nothing going right for Italy now

[Cari]

There you go...if you want to finish, get Visser to do it!

[Dave.]

That Italian 14..........dearie me.

Visser fissures over.

[wales606]

Visser, what a surprise.

[nathan]

Great finish!

The most overplayed song in the world!

[Cari]

13-0 at 30 minutes after Laidlaw's conversion.

[thebluesmancometh]

Benvenuti has a Cuthbert moment, beaten by a dummy misses the ball, player then slips.

A few of these Italian backs are really letting the performance down, that said though Italy's attitude and tactics are immense!!!

[Cari]

Castrogiovanni and Beattie not punching, just having a cwtch...

[nathan]

The flying Dutchman!

[Dave.]

Castro doing a bit of rasslin'

[wales606]

All those clever offload behind the defence come to nothing

[Cari]

Do you think Italy will be the sort of team that excel at home but can't cope away?

[wales606]

Jesus, Italy can't keep possession for more than a minute at a time.

[valjester]

Great passage of play by Italy, feel they are getting treated slightly harshly by the referee at the breakdown. Gray clearly in at the side and the ref just says hes not the tackler, and then Scottish tackler doesn't release, yet Scotland get the penalty for holding on.

[nathan]

The ref has the biggest forehead I've even seen!

[nathan]

How were Italy not given a pen then. In at side, off their feet!

[valjester]

How were Italy not given a pen then. In at side, off their feet!

I think that is the first period of play were the ref has actually decided to ref Scotland at the breakdown.
Italy really need this score.

[Cari]

HT 13 -3

[George Carlin]

Silly play by Scotland conceding the penalty which led to the Italian field position which led to those 3 points. When it's an absolutely static field like that, Jackson need to punch the ball down into the corners, not keep offering his forwards the chance to get creamed with slow crash ball.

[bsando]

Harley has been very good in backrow. Doing lots of other good things like knocking ball back, disrupting Italy's mauls, rucks, very impressed, totally lived up to my expectations of him.

Jackson hasn't really redeemed himself, made some silly decisions and kicks. Lamont is not a bad player, he just should not be at centre. Its not fair on him as a player to be put at 13 in my opinion.

Line speed has been so good, break down fantastic. Its so refreshing to see Scotland actually improve when needed for a change.

So nice to see Tim Visser scoring again! thats 3 each from our back three aftr 1.5 halves of rugby. They're living up to their potential which is really nice to see! Keep it going Scotland!

[valjester]

Silly play by Scotland conceding the penalty which led to the Italian field position which led to those 3 points. When it's an absolutely static field like that, Jackson need to punch the ball down into the corners, not keep offering his forwards the chance to get creamed with slow crash ball.

I don't think he is a good enough kicker to do that, you really need Laidlaw to be the one doing that, some of the play by both teams has been idiotic at times but it is much more entertaining than some recent encounters by this two sides.

[TJ1]

Decent half. Scotland getting tore in a bit more at the breakdown. Now we have a ginger monster on the pitch we will win.

[tigertattie]

I'd say Scotland are playing solid and reasonably well. Matt Scott is motm currently. Playing very well. As is beattie.

[TJ1]

Scotland should now really take it to them. I want to see the strike runners getting more of the ball and coming inside looking for it. Lets put a big score on em - not try to hold on for the win.

[wales606]

After last week, I had almost forgot what the 6N was all about,

Slow ball, players lying all over the place, silly errors, handling errors, penalties...sigh

[Cari]

Wales - check out the women's highlights now...rubbish. No wonder most of their matches end with one-sided top-heavy scores.

[valjester]

Italy penalised for what Scotland have been getting away with all game.

[wales606]

Well that Italy finished

[Cari]

Woop! Great try for Scott (second time lucky!).

18-3 before conversion.

[Cari]

20-3 at 44 minutes after Laidlaw converts.

[nathan]

Commentator getting a bit too carried away!

[tigertattie]

Who needs the "messiah" when we have matt Scott.

Fully deserved that try son.

[Cari]

Woah! What an intercept by Hogg!!!!

Hoggy! Hoggy! Hoogy! Oi! Oi! Oi!

[wales606]

Oh dear

a) Pass goes to hand = Italy try
b) Pass doesn't go to hand = Scotland try









The answer is b)

[bsando]

Welcome to the Lions Hoggy!!!!

[Cari]

Jebus, Orquera's having a schitt day all right...

27-3 at 48 minutes.

[wales606]

I would have liked Scotland to win, but was hoping for a more even match with Italy not turning into an awful team in a week.

[stub]

Very impressive from Hogg...

[valjester]

Commentator getting a bit too carried away!

And again.

[bsando]

That should have been an Italian try. But Hogg read that situation so well, very very impressive. No one was going to catch him, he has to be one of the, if not THE fastest player in the NH.

[stub]

Yes I agree Wales606 - it bit more fight from Italy would have been good. Not over yet though.

[Cari]

...if not THE fastest player in the NH.

Wouldn't go that far, but he is one of the fastest.

[Barney McGrew did it]

Wow Hoggy steps fatty Castro - definite Lion.

[valjester]

Has to be a yellow card.

[Cari]

Scotland in danger of getting a yellow...

[valjester]

Scotland in danger of getting a yellow...

Very lucky to escape, that is the reason why yellow card are there; cynical foul right on the line.

[wales606]

Should really have been a YC

It's going terribly wrong for Italy, just awful now.

[nathan]

Can't believe Scotland still have everyone on the pitch. They were lucky then.

[Cari]

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?

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