Preview: Italy V Scotland

ROME, ITALY - MARCH 08: George Horne during a Scotland Captain's Run at the Stadio Olimpico, on March 08, 2024, in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

What they said

Scotland Head Coach Gregor Townsend said:

“Playing in Italy is always a challenge, the atmosphere and passion the Italians bring is unique in world rugby. Italy have been building over the last two years and have had some great performances.

“We experienced that at Murrayfield last year when they pushed us right to the last minute. They did something similar in their last match against France and either of those games could have gone their way. It’s a really big test for us“. 

The teams

The Stats

• Scotland have won each of their last eight Guinness Men’s Six Nations matches against Italy, their longest winning run against any nation in the Championship since winning their first 11 matches against Ireland between 1883 and 1892.
• Scotland have won seven of their last 10 Guinness Men’s Six Nations away matches (L3), as many wins as they’d picked up across their previous 51 away games in the Championship combined.
• Scotland are the only team to have made 100+ kicks in play in this year’s Guinness Men’s Six Nations (116); they are also one of two teams to have executed a 50/22 kick and have the second-highest kick retention rate of any side.
• Scotland’s Finn Russell, who will earn his 40^th Six Nations cap, has been successful from all 15 of his place-kick attempts in this year’s Guinness Men’s Six Nations, scoring 5.65 points more than expected based on the difficulty (xGK) of those kicks, the best rate of any player.
• With 26 currently, Duhan van der Merwe needs just one more try to equal Stuart Hogg as Scotland’s top try scorer in men’s test rugby.