Plenty to savour, but Scots can be more ruthless yet

FOR pre-season fare, this was another encouraging run-out for a remodelled Scotland team and as comfortable a victory over Italy as any before. However, with no more games until the World Cup in three weeks, the squad was reminded of the need to sharpen up in the finishing department.

This was arguably the strongest Italian side to take to Murrayfield, but they were ring rusty, with 12 starting players making their first appearance of the new season. After the slender win over Ireland a fortnight ago, Scotland handed another 14 their first appearances, but, sharper in thought and deed from the first whistle, they went on to create a handful of scoring chances in each half.

That they finished just two of those left players frustrated, speaking afterwards of how they believed after 10 minutes, with a rare early try and a 10-0 lead, that they were in a groove to post 40 points.

Head coach Andy Robinson, Gregor Townsend, Scotland’s attack coach, and defence coach Graham Steadman are improving the attack, but that means little without a finish, so can they coach that art between now and the World Cup?

“It’s going to take a collective effort from all of us, but I believe we can,” Robinson said. “I think the guys are excited about the way they’re trying to play, and I’ve been really pleased with the breaks that are being made.

“They are as frustrated as all of us at not being able to finish these opportunities. But that, for me, is great. If they were blasé about it then I think we would not be able to do it, but they are frustrated about not taking chances.

“There were so many good things in the game, but it’s as if our errors are dragging us down. That’s something we’ve got to keep working at. Until we’re able to do that [finish off] we will continue to be a side that works hard and fights for the victory.

“But the boys kept their shape out there and their composure to push on and win. We’re here to win Test matches, so it’s about having the mentality of understanding how to win. What I was pleased about, again, was that we looked sharp in the last 20 minutes and we were able to close out the game.”

The opening period was good, Dan Parks taking up the challenge of proving he could lead Scotland’s attack better than young rival Ruaridh Jackson with a quick pass to release Rory Lamont on a trademark, mazy, threatening run from full-back. No 8 Richie Vernon revealed his pace and from that first attack Parks slotted Scotland’s opening points from a penalty.

A fine Scottish maul in behind Max Evans took Scotland storming back into the 22, Al Kellock was soaring in the lineout, and when Evans’ grit surfaced with an aggressive run and reprise when not held in the tackle, mobile prop Alasdair Dickinson was there for the pass to sprint in for his first Test try with ten minutes gone.

There was a greater dynamism from the Scots than had been apparent against Ireland, a fresh desire to get on the ball and go at the Italians, typified by Nick De Luca, Evans, Vernon and Scott Lawson, in particular, which brought verve to the Scots attack. In defence, the speed with which Scots closed down the Italians – the line-speed – was sharper, with De Luca and Graeme Morrison at its apex, and the defence tighter as a whole, despite two clear lapses.

From a Sergio Parisse burst from a scrum in his own 22, Tomas Benvenuti, the tall but rapier Italian left wing, exposed a lead-footed Lamont in the 24th minute with an arching run around the full-back, Scots wing Simon Danielli also left trailing, for a fine but all-too-simple try.

Scrum-half Fabio Semenzato also exploited a poor start to the second half by Scotland, bursting from Vernon’s tackle and a crowd of home players to dart over – the Italians having been much quicker, stronger and cohesive in latching onto an exposed Blair in defence.

The Scots always seemed the more dangerous side, but had Mirco Bergamasco converted that score – his goal-kicking remains a problem for Italy – the visitors would have been 14-13 ahead with 30 minutes to play.

Scotland skipper Al Kellock said afterwards: “We spoke behind the posts after that try about the fact that most of us had played Italy enough to realise that they had us where they wanted us, putting pressure on, and us making errors we shouldn’t make. So the talk was about wiping that and moving forward.

“We shouldn’t have put ourselves in that position, but having got into it to get out of it was outstanding and a bit of class from Mike Blair and the momentum changed. There have been times in the past where we haven’t done that.”

Blair’s try in the 53rd minute was perhaps fortunate, the scrum-half charging down a kick by Andrea Masi and winning the race to the touchdown, but it came from Scottish pressure which meant the full-back rather than the stand-off was forced to attempt a hasty clearance. Parks’ conversion and then penalty pushed Scotland 11 points clear and though he and replacement Jackson missed others and the match became error-strewn and scrappy with both sides struggling to regain a rhythm, Scotland were deserved winners.

The Scottish set-piece needs more work with the lineout again wasteful in the opposition 22 and the scrummaging caught out in a way that will bring a smile to Romanians, Georgians, Pumas and Englishmen, most of whom view the scrum as the area to dominate and nullify the Scots next month.

The Azzurri used a “double-hit” technique, vigorously contesting the put-in, pausing briefly and driving again, and the second push caught Scotland on several occasions.

On Italian ball it allowed the world-class Parisse to attack where and when he liked, and while Scotland were solid on their own put-in, Vernon was often caught before he could make ground.

Moray Low had good scrums and some not so good, and Euan Murray was solid in the last half-hour, but it perhaps said more about the need for Ross Ford’s strength at hooker and perhaps scrummager Allan Jacobsen at loosehead than the tighthead battle.

The examinations intensify as Scotland strive to tighten up their game on the training field, knowing that success in the World Cup will depend not only on how well they understand the lessons from two warm-ups but how swiftly they do something positive with them.