An uplifting last-day performance, which mixed industry with incisiveness to terrific effect, saw Scotland claim their first win of the RBS 6 Nations Championship against typically rugged Italian opposition at Murrayfield on Saturday. Andy Robinson’s team played with clarity of purpose throughout, turning round a two-point interval deficit to record what was ultimately a convincing victory thanks to second half tries from Nikki Walker and Nick De Luca. An uplifting last-day performance, which mixed industry with incisiveness to terrific effect, saw Scotland claim their first win of the RBS 6 Nations Championship against typically rugged Italian opposition at Murrayfield on Saturday. Andy Robinson’s team played with clarity of purpose throughout, turning round a two-point interval deficit to record what was ultimately a convincing victory thanks to second half tries from Nikki Walker and Nick De Luca. The Edinburgh man, who entered the fray as a first half substitute for injury-victim Joe Ansbro, had never before landed a touchdown for his country, while Walker’s score will have meant all the more to the Ospreys player by dint of the fact that he wasn’t originally going to have any part in proceedings. Walker was called into the team on Friday after Max Evans failed to recover sufficiently from the knock sustained at Twickenham last weekend, and boy did he deliver, positioning himself as a constant thorn in the Italians’ side and as the fulcrum of a much-improved effort from Scotland in attack. The home crowd, in fine voice and fettle from the off, gave Walker and his teammates a rousing ovation at the end, having barely had time to retake their seats after rising to acclaim another magnificent try-saving tackle from Chris Paterson on an opposition full-back. Where Ben Foden had suffered last weekend, it was Luke McLean’s turn at Murrayfield, with Paterson’s commitment and execution indicative of the thoroughness of Scotland’s performance. Paterson has now gone beyond 400 points in the RBS 6 Nations Championship, while the win itself was enough to lift Scotland above Italy in the table and send them into the pre-Rugby World Cup period in good heart. Head coach Robinson confirmed: “The emotions are pretty powerful as always when you’ve won a Test match. “Being in control of what we do has been our full focus throughout. I’m delighted for the players and the supporters as well as the management team who have worked so hard. I’m delighted with the attitude we’ve shown, and we’ve seen improvements througout the Championship. This is what we’re here for, to win games of international rugby, and the players give absolutely everything to make that happen.Match gallery There was strong backing for both sides in a vibrant, passionate Murrayfield audience, but the first real cheers of the afternoon had a Scottish twang as Paterson put the hosts ahead with a 23m penalty after barely four minutes of play. This opening segment of the game had seen the Scots make a series of dents in the Italian defence, principally through Simon Danielli out wide and Ross Ford through the middle. These charges, and the subsequent quick ball, caused Italy to offend twice at the ruck, the second award seeing Paterson get the scoreboard moving. Scotland also made an encouraging start at the lineout, Richie Gray laying down a marker in an area of traditional Italian strength by claiming an early steal on his way to delivering an RBS Man of the Match display. Resilient as ever, the Azzurri were quick to respond, forcing a penalty of their own after Scotland were pulled up for side entry at a ruck. Mirco Bergamasco, whose form from the tee has been mixed throughout the championship, couldn’t persuade the ball between the posts from out right, but Italy were soon on the front foot once more in the familiar shape of full-back Andrea Masi. The Racing Metro man, a front-runner in the race to be named RBS 6 Nations Player of the Championship, bust through a hole in the heart of the Scottish defence and showed a terrific turn of pace to race away from the cover and touch down in the left corner. Bergamasco’s conversion attempt bounced back off the left-hand post. It was time for Scotland to show some gas of their own, and Sean Lamont, Ansbro, Ruaridh Jackson and that man Danielli all injected real energy and momentum into their next attack, which at several junctures came agonisingly close to delivering a try. The closest of these near things had Danielli straining every sinew to get the ball down after a close-range surge, only to be repelled by the last line of Italian defence as he sought to extend an arm to score. The visitors’ efforts to keep Scotland out weren’t entirely legal, and Paterson duly knocked over another penalty with the minimum of fuss. This positive passage of play brought fresh vocal encouragement from the home support, but the crowd’s next involvement was an undesired one as they stood to applaud Ansbro from the field, the busy centre forced off with an injury to his right knee. De Luca emerged from the replacements’ bench to take his place in the Scotland midfield. After these splashes of colour from the home backline, the focus subsequently switched to the threat of the Italian pack. The Azzurri won a penalty at the first scrum of the game some 26 minutes in, Scotland adjudged to have infringed before they even delivered the hit. Italy kicked to touch and made ground with their party piece, the driven maul, before eking out another penalty for not rolling away. Bergamasco made no mistake with this one to give the visitors a two-point lead. The remainder of the opening half saw Scotland once more looking the more likely side with ball in hand, Danielli and Lamont continually to the fore. This pressure told in the form of numerous penalties, the last of which Paterson tried to knock over from the right-hand touchline. The Edinburgh full-back didn’t strike the ball as cleanly as he would have liked, and Italy cleared their lines to prompt Walsh to put the whistle to his lips and blow for half-time. Half-Time: Scotland 6-8 Italy The second half got off to a lively start, Italy centre Gonzalo Canale unable to hold onto a loose pass near the half-way line and granting Lamont the opportunity to hack ahead and pit himself against Leonardo Ghiraldini in a race to collect the ball. The visiting hooker did admirably well to match Lamont step for step and hurl himself on the ball, but Scotland had set their stall out for the second half. They continued to press and landed that much-craved try in the 47th minute. A solid scrum on the right of the field created a workable platform from which to attack, and after Jackson found a hole with a burrowing little run, Scotland hammered at the left corner. Nathan Hines, he of the soft hands and quick brain, was instrumental in facilitating the touchdown, his scoring pass to De Luca giving the Edinburgh man just enough time and space to dot down his first international try. Having finally broken down the Italy back door, Scotland were clearly keen to keep on flooding through, and only eight minutes after De Luca’s counter, Walker joined him on the scoresheet. The try was typical of the winger’s threat, as, after Paterson drew a couple of defenders and fed the ball left, Walker careered through at an almighty crack, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake before getting the ball down. Paterson converted to stretch Scotland’s advantage to ten points, and shortly after, Walker was at it again, rampaging up the middle to the delight of the home support, even if on this occasion there wasn’t to be quite as dramatic an outcome. Having a bit of breathing space allowed a tangible confidence to spread through Scotland’s play, and although they had to soak up a spell of Italian pressure towards the end of the third quarter, they never threatened to lose their discipline and give away the penalty that would have thrown the visitors a lifeline. Indeed, the Scots secured a three-pointer of their own through Paterson in the 68th minute, and negotiated the closing stages without much in the way of alarm. RBS Man of the Match: Richie Gray (Scotland) ScotlandChris Paterson (Edinburgh); Nikki Walker (Ospreys), Joe Ansbro (Northampton Saints) (Nick De Luca (Edinburgh) 18min), Sean Lamont (Scarlets), Simon Danielli (Ulster); Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors) (Dan Parks (Cardiff Blues) 78min), Rory Lawson (Gloucester) (Mike Blair (Edinburgh) 64min); Allan Jacobsen (Edinburgh), Ross Ford (Edinburgh) (Scott Lawson (Gloucester) 64min), Geoff Cross (Edinburgh) (Euan Murray (Newcastle Falcons) 64min), Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors), Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors) CAPTAIN, Nathan Hines (Leinster) (Al Strokosch (Gloucester 54min), John Barclay (Glasgow Warriors), Kelly Brown (Saracens) (Richie Vernon (Glasgow Warriors 74min) ItalyAndrea Masi (Racing Metro) (Luke McLean (Treviso) 32min); Tommaso Benvenuti (Treviso), Gonzalo Canale (Clermont Auvergne), Alberto Sgarbi (Treviso) (Pablo Canavosio (Aironi) 70min), Mirco Bergamasco (Stade Francais); Kris Burton (Treviso) (Luciano Orquera (Brive) 59min , Fabio Semenzato (Treviso); Salvatore Perugini (Aironi) (Andrea Lo Cicero (Racing Metro) 59min), Leonardo Ghiraldini (Treviso) (Carlo Festuccia (Racing Metro) 79min), Martin Castrogiovanni ( Leicester), Carlo Del Fava (Aironi) (Valerio Bernabo’ (Treviso) 54min), Quintin Geldenhuys (Aironi), Alessandro Zanni (Treviso), Paul Derbyshire (Treviso) (Roberto Barbieri 59min), Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais) (captain) Attendance: 42,464 Ref: Steve Walsh (ARU)