Thanks for following our match centre this afternoon!
Scotland came out 25-13 winners thanks to two tries for Darcy Graham and one from Josh Bayliss.
See you next Saturday for the visit of France!
A good opening to our World Cup preparations!
It was close throughout, but two tries from Darcy Graham and one at the death from Josh Bayliss secure a 12-point win.
We’re back here next Saturday to face France.
Not bad from Darcy on his first appearance for Scotland in 2023 eh?
SCOTLAND FINISH IN STYLE!
Ollie Smith, who has moved out to left wing, makes excellent ground.
Then it’s brought all the way back to Josh Bayliss on the right touchline, who does fantastically to step the last defender and ground it in the corner.
Healy converts with the last play.
A word for today’s crowd, who got Scotland through some sticky moments in that second half.
Thank you to everyone at Scottish Gas Murrayfield today!
Instead of the boot from the 22, Scotland’s back elect to run it.
McDowall makes excellent metres on the right, but he’s bundled into touch just shy of halway.
Three more onto our total. Five to go!
Jamie Dobie goes for the intercept, but it’s deemed he knocked it on intentionally.
Italy get the penalty and will have the lineout on the left just outside our 22.
The lineout is knocked on and Italy get the scrum, but that leads to a Scotland penalty from the left side on the 22.
Healy is going for goal.
Scotland get the ball back!
We will have a scrum as the lineout wasn’t straight. The ball is fed in with exactly 90 seconds left on the clock.
Another great scrum!
We win the penalty, and kick to just outside Italy’s 22.
Ben Healy is announced as The Famous Grouse Player of the Match.
As you might expect from a first game of the season, it’s fairly scrappy.
Dropped balls from both sides, and Scotland with half a lineout on halfway.
Another penalty for Italy – we’ve not really had any considerable number of phases without a stoppage in this game.
They will start again from our 22 on the left.
Ollie Smith grubbers from just inside his own half, and it just rolls out before Kyle Steyn can gather.
But it’s a 50/22, and Scotland get the attacking platform.
Scott Cummings will come off, and Cameron Henderson is on to win his first cap.
Congratulations Cameron! Cap number 1140.
The Italians move it from right to left, winning each collision as they do so.
Monty Ioane has space on the left to ground it in the corner.
He’s just so good. He’s just so, so good.
One phase after the scrum, Darcy sprints infield to collect a tight pass from Ali Price.
He’s between the two defenders and over the line before the Italian defenders even realise he’s coming.
Ben Healy adds the conversion.
Another Italian held up to win Scotland the scrum narrowly inside our own 22.
That gives Josh Bayliss the chance to replace Luke Crosbie in the back row.
A mistake from the backs as a pass is knocked on five metres out.
But from Italy’s scrum, Scotland barge them off the ball and exit!
Ali Price and Chris Harris come off for Jamie Dobie and Cameron Redpath.
Dobie wins his second cap, with his first coming in October 2021 against Tonga.
Scotland penalised on the halfway line. Italy kick into our 22.
Another penalty now in front of the posts, but Allan instead opts to boot it out on the right.
Italy go again from five metres.
A first spell of possession in the second half for Italy, which included a few half breaks.
Scotland cause havoc at a ruck, and at the next one Matt Fagerson latches onto the ball on his own 22 and wins the penalty.
Scotland kick it out just outside Italy’s 40m line.
WOW.
Matt Fagerson with another turnover on the deck, and Ollie Smith sees acres of space in the right corner.
His boot downfield stops just short of the line, with Martin Page-Relo in all sorts of bother.
He tries to exit, but Darcy charges it down and McInally just can’t ground it.
But Scotland will have the scrum five metres out…
Silly errors costing Scotland.
A knock on after the lineout, and then we concede the penalty at the scrum.
Italy will start with a lineout on our 22.
Scrum penalty for Scotland this time!
Ben Healy will kick at goal from just left of the posts.
Ben Healy converts the penalty – his first points for his country!
Scotland aren’t going anywhere fast, and then lose the ball forward in the contact.
Italy scrum around 20 metres out.
Murphy Walker’s first start comes to an end. Rory Sutherland and George Turner also come off.
On comes Jamie Bhatti, Javan Sebastian and Stuart McInally.
Allan exits. Scotland will restart from 25 metres out.
Kyle Steyn makes the break on the 22, and Scotland get over the line. But, crucially, it’s held up.
We go back for a Scottish penalty, but a knock on from the tap and go gives Italy an easy exit.
Play will resume with an Italy lineout after Smith found touch, on Scotland’s 40m line.
Allan grubbers through, and Ben Healy picks up on the edge of the 22.
A lovely spiral down the pitch, and it bounces just into Italy’s 22 and out!
Scotland will thrown in from a great position.
Ben Healy thumps the ball towards the South Stand.
COME ON SCOTLAND!
Good defence from Italy.
Ollie Smith takes it in, but Italy create a maul and make the ball unplayable.
They’ll have a scrum less than 15 metres from their own line.
Italy get a penalty just inside Scotland’s half on the left side with the last play of the half as the host pack are deemed to collapse a scrum.
Tommaso Allan has the chance to give his side the lead at the break.
Darcy Graham with Scotland’s only try of the half, gathering Ben Healy’s kick on the right wing.
Italy go the maul, but the Scottish forwards swarm in and make the ball unplayable.
Scotland get the scrum, and then the penalty off the back of it!
Healy finds touch 25 metres out.
The ball is fired out to Darcy on the right, who sprints for the corner. He’s bundled into touch though.
But Scotland steal the lineout five metres out! We look for a gap…
Italy now the ones struggling to make any metres. A huge hit from George Turner has them going backwards, so they chip over the top but McDowall read it a mile off.
He gathers, and then an intentional knock on gives Scotland the penalty.
It’s missed touch though, and Italy fire it back up the pitch.
He’s got it, and that’s half time.
Scotland trail by one.
Ben Healy sends one to the skies, and hares after it.
He’s got it too! And knocked it back to Rory Sutherland, who charges on.
But he’s penalised for holding on in the ruck, and Italy kick to our 10m line.
Unlucky from Price.
Scotland going nowhere, and with Healy on the deck Price elects to boot over the top.
It’s nearly perfect with plenty space in the left corner, but it just goes out on the full.
Italy lineout on halfway.
A couple of errors from Scotland nearly lead to a try.
Ali Price’s pass has no takers, and Manuel Zuliani hacks on. It’s not gathered by Smith or Chris Harris cleanly, and squirms over the line, but eventually Smith gets his paws on it.
Italy scrum, five metres out.
Congratulations to Scotland cap 1139 – Stafford McDowall.
Scotland caught offside.
Tommaso Allan will surely knock this over from in front of the posts.
Scotland win the penalty themselves and get the chance to exit – a bit stop-start at the moment.
That’s a massive wallop from Ben Healy – Scotland will play from just outside Italy’s 22.
Yep, easy as you like. A two-point game.
Bit unlucky for Scotland that. A knock on after the lineout and it’s picked up by an offside player, and Italy get the penalty instead of a scrum.
Ollie Smith is then caught offside a phase later, and Italy now have the lineout around 10 metres out.
Italy have a lineout on their own 5, but it goes array and they have to ground it over the line.
Scotland have the scrum five metres out.
Try time!
The maul gets us inches short, and the ball is fired out to debutant Stafford McDowall.
It’s played out the back to Ben Healy who kicks out to Darcy on the right wing, who has all the space in the world to pick it up and dot down for the first score!
Nope, Italy will have it back for a scrum infringement.
They exit to the 10 metre line.
A scrum to Scotland in their own 22 leads to a penalty after a strong push.
Healy hoofs it down to around 35 metres out from Italy’s line.
Italy are caught offside in midfield.
Ben Healy, making his first start, hoofs the ball into the left corner, around eight metres out.
Italy kick off, and Scotland attempt to exit.
But it’s gone out on the full after Scotland took it back into their own 22, so it’ll be an Italian lineout around 20 metres out.
A long kick downfield, and Darcy wins the race!
He hacks on again, but is beaten to the ball and it’s grounded over the line.
A real opportunity for Ollie Smith in the 15 jersey today, and that will give him confidence.
Italy take a creative risk, something we may well see a lot of today, and grubber kick in behind, but Ollie Smith grounds it over the line and Scotland will exit from their goal line.
Ready to go! Warm-ups complete. Both teams are back in their changing rooms.
#AsOne
The ball is kicked in behind again for Smith to chase, and once more he handles it brilliantly.
Price then exits.
It’s anthem time!
It’s a privilege to be able to welcome Caitlin Wilkie and her family to Scottish Gas Murrayfield to deliver the match ball for today’s game.
Eight-year-old Caitlin was diagnosed with the extremely rare genetic condition Bardet Biedl Syndrome and has inspired huge fundraising efforts from the rugby community and beyond.
Read her story HERE
If you’re loving the atmosphere at Scottish Gas Murrayfield today, or feel like you’ve missed out being at home we’ll be back next Saturday when the men’s side take on France in the second fixture of The Famous Grouse Nations Series (5 August, kick off 3.15pm).
Don’t waste time and secure your tickets today via scottishrugbytickets.org!
It’s great to be back home and seeing so many of you supporting Scotland!
COME ON SCOTLAND!!
Take an exclusive look inside the Scotland team changing room…
Rory Darge leads the team in at Scottish Gas Murrayfield.
A special day for the 23-year-old.
Your Scotland team are in the house!!
This will be the first time the new 2023/24 season kit will be worn by the men’s nation team and you’ll be the first to see it! Grab your very own home, alternate or training kit from the Macron store today.
Our first game at Scottish Gas Murrayfield.
What a day for it!
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND – JULY 29: Ben White with fans during The Famous Grouse Nations Series match between Scotland and Italy at the Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium, on July 29, 2023, in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)
Your Scotland team for this afternoon’s game (kick off 3.15pm).
Scotland Women will host Spain on Saturday 30 September at Hive Stadium in Edinburgh as preparations get underway for World Rugby’s new global competition, WXV.
Supporters can secure their tickets for all three of Scotland’s home games this season at Hive Stadium with the newly launched Season Pass, including Spain, France, and England. Available until Thursday 10 August – when match tickets will go on public sale.
BUY HERE
“Our Journey”, brought to you by sportsbreaks.com, takes you closer than ever to the team as they prepare for Rugby World Cup 2023.
Available HERE or Scottish Rugby YouTube channel.
Travelling to the stadium today via bus or train or simply in the car?
Listen to the latest episode of the Official Scottish Rugby Podcast where our hosts Caroline Blair and Chris Paterson explore team selection for today’s match against Italy and what to expect from Gregor’s side.
Listen on the Scottish Rugby Website HERE, PodBean, Spotify, Acast and many more. 
Tickets are still available for today’s game up until kick-off. Purchase on scottishrugbytickets.com and they will appear in your Scottish Rugby Ticketing App.
All the info you need to watch along from home below:
UK: primevideosport
Global: https://bit.ly/451IhgD
Three hours to go and there’s still time to be here! Purchase on scottishrugbytickets.com and they will appear in your Scottish Rugby Ticketing App.
A look ahead at today’s opening match of The Famous Grouse Nations Series against Italy at Scottish Gas Murrayfield.
Read it HERE
Tickets for today’s match are still available online up until kick-off. Purchase on scottishrugbytickets.com and they will appear in your Scottish Rugby Ticketing App.
Follow today’s game from wherever you are around the globe.
80:00 Second Half End
80:35
79:14
73:56
71:43
68:57
63:24
63:11
62:48
61:43
59:37
56:43
56:42
56:41
56:40
56:39
56:13
55:02
50:48
50:47
50:46
47:24
45:39
45:38
45:37
40:00 First Half End
41:39
25:32
12:16
Kick-off 3:15 pm