Report: Italy 34-29 Scotland

Scotland were 15-0 down in just 21 minutes and 20-5 down at half time, but gelled more and more as the game went on and got themselves to a position where they had a chance to win it with the final play, but ultimately fell short.

After a promising opening few minutes from Scotland, a knock-on from Francesca McGhie was gathered by Alyssa D’Inca, who ran infield and made a large territorial gain from just inside her own half. The forwards then crashed forward on the left before the ball went right and back to D’Inca, who finished in the corner. (5-0, 9 mins)

Italy gained momentum from their carrying, winning the collision almost every time, and D’Inca soon had a second score when Sofia Stefan kicked from the base of a central ruck to the right wing and the winger jumped highest to claim it and fall over the line. (10-0, 13 mins)

Scotland then had their first chance after good defensive pressure lead to a knock-on from Italy on the edge of their 22. Coreen Grant sliced through the middle but was quickly felled, and as the forwards worked to the right a good jackal lead to a home penalty to clear their lines.

Three penalties in quick succession got Italy straight up into Scotland’s 22, and the driving maul got going quickly and took Vittoria Vecchini over the line on the left side for Italy’s third score. (15-0, 21 mins)

Scotland’s forwards then got them back in the game. A ferocious scrum deep in Italy’s 22 won the penalty, which was kicked to the left corner, and the result was a trademark maul try for Lana Skeldon. (15-5, 30 mins)

D’Inca should have had her hat-trick with just over four minutes of the half left. A maul on the left wing was well halted by the Scottish pack just short, and when Emma Stevanin went to the right corner via the boot, D’Inca was in acres of space over the line but dropped the ball forward to let Scotland off the hook.

With the last play of the half, Scotland had a scrum in their own 22 but tried to run it out and gave the ball away cheaply. Italy bashed up the middle before going out right where Aura Muzzo got a fourth Italian try. (20-5, 40 mins)

Half time: Italy 20-5 Scotland

Scotland came out in the second half with renewed determination and cohesion, and got all the way up to the line, but a vital jackal steal came in and Italy escaped.

But the try came soon after, as Scotland attacked well down the right wing, with Helen Nelson finishing the move from close distance. (20-10, 51 mins)

The game was well and truly on six minutes later. After two knock-ons close to the line in quick succession, Scotland came again from the lineout after Italy cleared to touch inside their own 22, and a phase later Evie Gallagher dragged three defenders with her as she dived over the line under the posts. Nelson added the extras. (20-17, 57 mins)

But Italy bounced straight back, and having gone through the phases from a lineout just inside Scotland’s half, Rigoni suddenly burst through two tackles and over on the left. Stevanin converted. (27-17, 61 mins)

D’Inca then got her well deserved hat-trick, as a chip over the top was gathered by Rigoni and then passed out to the right by the Italians to the winger who showed her speed to race round the defence and over. Stevanin again converted. (34-17, 65 mins)

Again Scotland made an error with the line beckoning, as they found an overload on the left wing and Thomson knocked on.

There were no errors from a penalty awarded to Scotland soon after. It was kicked into the right corner, and Elis Martin followed in Skeldon’s footsteps to finish off well at the back of the maul. (34-22, 71 mins)

And Gallagher got her second score of the game with seconds remaining. Lloyd had initially broke up the left then nearly reached the line three phases later on the right, and as the forwards pushed for the final inches it was the number 8 who made the telling push. Nelson converted. (34-29, 79 mins)

The Scots tried to run it from their own 22 with the final play needing a try to draw or a converted score to win, but Martin’s pass was deemed forward and the game ended in victory for the hosts.

Full time: Italy 34-29 Scotland

Italy: 15. Francesca Granzotto 14. Aura Muzzo 13. Michela Sillari 12. Sara Mannini 11. Alyssa D’Inca 10. Emma Stevanin 9. Sofia Stefan 1. Gaia Maris 2. Vittoria Vecchini 3. Sara Seye 4. Valeria Fedrighi 5. Giordana Duca 6. Francesca Sgorbini 7. Beatrice Veronese 8. Elisa Giordano -Captain

Replacements: 16. Desiree Spinelli 17. Silvia Turani 18. Alessia Pilani 19. Sara Tounesi 20. Ilaria Arrighetti 21. Alia Bitonci 22. Veronica Madia 23. Beatrice Rigoni

Scotland: 15. Lucia Scott (Loughborough Lightning) 14. Rhona Lloyd (Sale Sharks) 13. Evie Wills (Sale Sharks) 12. Lisa Thomson (Trailfinders Women) 11. Coreen Grant (Saracens) 10. Helen Nelson (Loughborough Lightning) 9. Leia Brebner-Holden (Loughborough Lightning) 1. Leah Bartlett (Sale Sharks) 2. Lana Skeldon (Bristol Bears) 3. Elliann Clarke (Bristol Bears) 4. Emma Wassell (Trailfinders Women) 5. Adelle Ferrie (Edinburgh Rugby/Corstorphine Cougars) 6. Rachel Malcolm – Captain (Trailfinders Women) 7. Rachel McLachlan (Montpellier) 8. Evie Gallagher (Bristol Bears)

Replacements: 16. Elis Martin (Loughborough Lightning) (for Skeldon 65) . Molly Wright (Sale Sharks) (for Bartlett 61) 18. Lisa Cockburn (Gloucester-Hartpury) (for Clarke 72) 19. Eva Donaldson (Sale Sharks) (for Wassell 61) 20. Alex Stewart (Edinburgh Rugby/Corstorphine Cougars) (for Ferrie 48) 21. Caity Mattinson (Trailfinders Women) (for Brebner-Holden 48) 22. Hannah Ramsay (Edinburgh Rugby/University of Edinburgh) (for Thomson 72) 23. Chloe Rollie (Toulon Provence Mediterranee) (for Grant 48)