What they said

Scotland Head Coach Bryan Easson said: “Everybody has come in fresh from fallow week and we’ve had good intensity at training. We’re really looking forward to this game. We’re going to be looking for consistency in our performance, we’ve been working hard on two or three little areas we needed to tighten up but also on areas we know has been going well. I think our set piece has improved and our defence has had some really good sets.

“I’ve been really happy with our 6:2 (the bench), it allows us to really go after teams and keep things consistent across the set piece. We have really good options off the bench.

“Italy obviously have a new coach who has come in, it’s clear he has brought new systems and ideas. The Italians have always had that bit of flare about them and some dangerous individuals so we’ve done our homework. But we are aware of the strengths that we have, the areas they have struggled with against us in their last three games so we’ve pushed hard on those this week.”

The teams

Last meetings

2024: Italy 0 – 19 Scotland, DHL Stadium, Cape Town
2024: Italy 10 – Scotland 17, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma
2023: Scotland 29 – 21 Italy, Hive Stadium, Edinburgh
2022: Italy 20 – 13 Scotland, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma

Statistics

• Emma Orr has scored two tries in the last two rounds of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations.
• Francesca McGhie has carried for more metres (233), gained more metres (197) and made more linebreaks (6) than any other player in the Guinness Women’s Six Nations so far this year.
• Sarah Bonar (19), Rachel McLachlan (14), Anne Young (12) and Elliann Clarke (11) all rank in the top six players to make the most cleanouts in the championship so far this year.
• Should Scotland win this weekend, this will mark the first time since 2007 that Scotland have recorded four consecutive wins over Italy (2007, 1999, 1998 and 1997).