SCOT
No.Name
15Stuart Hogg, FB
14Tommy Seymour, W
13Mark Bennett, C
T
12Alex Dunbar, C
11Sean Lamont, W
10Pete Horne, FH
9Greig Laidlaw, SH
4
1Alasdair Dickinson, P
2Ross Ford, H
3Euan Murray, P
4Tim Swinson, L
5Jonny Gray, L
6Rob Harley, FL
7Blair Cowan, FL
8Johnnie Beattie, N8
Replacements
16Fraser Brown, H
17Ryan Grant, P
18Geoff Cross, P
19Ben Toolis, L
20Hamish Watson, N8
21Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, SH
22Greig Tonks, FH
23Matt Scott, C

*Players currently on the pitch are shown in bold

Game Info

Venue: Scottish Gas Murrayfield
2:30 PM, February 28, 2015
Attendance: 67,144
All CommentaryKey Events

Match Commentary

81'19-22 End of half
81'19-22 End of half
81'19-22 End of second half
81'19-22 Conversion - Tommaso Allan , Italy
80'Penalty try has been awarded - Clancy gives it in the 80th minute! It's all over!
80'Yellow card - Hamish Watson , Scotland
80'19-20 Penalty try
79'Ben Toolis - on for his debut - is given a yellow card and Scotland will have to play 90 seconds or so with 14 men..
79'Player substituted - Pete Horne , Scotland
79'Substitute on - Greig Tonks , Scotland
78'Italy have the lineout - it was Peter Horne who missed touch. 22 out and the maul drives forward. Penalty Italy, though ...
78'Yellow card - Ben Toolis , Scotland
77'Huge roars from the Scottish crowd as Clancy blows for a home penalty! Massive defence and it's all kicking off! Tempers flare in a relief of pressure. Scotland fail to make touch - and the Italians have a penalty advantage. They also have time to make it count ...
76'Italy get the penalty - and take the scrum. Still four metres from the try line with the clock ticking down. It's fours all around - four minutes left, four yards out and four points behind...
75'Player substituted - Greig Laidlaw , Scotland
75'Substitute on - Sam Hidalgo-Clyne , Scotland
75'Player substituted - Euan Murray , Scotland
75'Substitute on - Geoff Cross , Scotland
74'Italy have the scrum five metres from Scotland's try line ... four points in it. Parisse carries, but referee Clancy calls for it to be reset.
73'... And is brought down - penalty to Italy, who kick straight to the corner for another lineout.
72'Time running out for Italy - but they have a chance from this lineout. The maul drives forward...
70'Not the best from Italy's Furno, who sends a pass straight over Michele Visentin and out of play. That was a chance wasted by the Italian second rower.
70'Player substituted - Giovanbattista Venditti , Italy
70'Substitute on - Giulio Bisegni , Italy
70'Substitute on - Ben Toolis , Scotland
70'Player substituted - Tim Swinson , Scotland
67'Laidlaw does kick over to give Scotland a four-point lead. In stark contrast to the first half, they were the first points to be scored after the whistle!
67'Substitute on - Marco Fuser , Italy
67'Player substituted - George Fabio Biagi , Italy
67'Player substituted - Leonardo Ghiraldini , Italy
67'Substitute on - Andrea Manici , Italy
67'Substitute on - Matt Scott , Scotland
67'Player substituted - Mark Bennett , Scotland
67'Player substituted - Alasdair Dickinson , Scotland
67'Substitute on - Ryan Grant , Scotland
67'Substitute on - Fraser Brown , Scotland
67'Player substituted - Ross Ford , Scotland
67'19-15 Penalty goal - Greig Laidlaw , Scotland
65'Penalty advantage for Scotland - that is what they were after. Still, they push for more. However, there is a knock on and George Clancy pulls it back for the penalty. Laidlaw faces a simple one to extend the lead.
64'Lots of pressure and lots of jostling from Scotland, but not much luck in breaking down this Italian defence. Still they remain on the 22.
63'The Scottish forwards drive the maul from the scrum - they're up to the 22 mark. Big chance for the home side, with only 17 minutes remaining.
62'Substitute on - Samu Vunisa , Italy
62'Player substituted - Simone Favaro , Italy
61'After a sustained spell of possession, Stuart Hogg is through - but Sean Lamont's pass to him was judged to be a forward one. Unlucky for Scotland, who are working hard to counteract Italy's physical presence.
58'BOOM. Alex Dunbar is absolutely clattered in the middle - but he's OK and gets back to his feet relatively unscathed. He did ever so well to offload suffering that double hit, although it looked like he didn't have much clue about it.
57'This time, the Italy wheel collapses - that's the risk and Scotland have the penalty. Hogg kicks it for the lineout deep in Italian territory. What a time this would be to score ...
57'Substitute on - Lorenzo Cittadini , Italy
57'Player substituted - Dario Chistolini , Italy
57'Player substituted - Matias Aguero , Italy
57'Substitute on - Alberto de Marchi , Italy
56'We've got another scrum...
55'Plenty of tension from this record crowd. Handling and kicking errors are mounting up for Cotter's Scotland - Italy should be in front, much to the home crowd's disgust. 83 tackles made by Italy - only six missed.
53'Great chance for Italy to lead for the first time in the match - yet Allan sends it wide of the post. Let off for the home side.
52'Italy win the penalty - wheeling the scrum. Replacement Allan to take.
51'John Beattie makes way in Scotland's first change - Hamish Watson comes on to earn his first cap.
51'Player substituted - Johnnie Beattie , Scotland
51'Substitute on - Hamish Watson , Scotland
50'The ball is kicked loose from the Italy scrum but Hogg is on hand with some calm, smart defending. Very tense - execution lacking at crucial moments for both sides.
48'Sean Lamont brings the ball away for Scotland but again Italy stop the onslaught. Both sides exchange kicks up the field - before groans come from the Murrayfield crowd as Italy almost force a turnover.
46'62,188 are in attendance at Murrayfield - a record attendance for a Scotland v Italy at the stadium.
45'Kelly Haimona limps off - Italy replace him with Tommaso Allen.
44'Player substituted - Kelly Haimona , Italy
44'Substitute on - Tommaso Allan , Italy
43'The Scotland attack breaks down with a loose pass - Italy get a toe to it but can't seize their chance. Wasted at both ends...
42'Italy are again between the 10 metre lines - and have again given away a penalty. Hogg kicks it into touch deep into the opposition's half.
41'Italy have the ball in the midfield but struggle to break Scotland down - Haimona has a chance to find one final lineout of the half. Ross Ford has the ball and he kicks it out for half time.
41'+116-15 End of first half
40'Kelly Haimona kicks off the second half.
40'16-15 Start of second half
38'16-15 Conversion - Kelly Haimona , Italy
37'Try given! The TMO is happy enough that Venditti's actions are all one movement. Haimona converts and Scotland's lead is cut down to one point.
37'16-13 Try - Giovanbattista Venditti , Italy
36'Italy get the penalty after an infringement from Ross Ford in the scrum. Kelly Haimona sets up - it's come around enough, but hasn't got the length! It drops just shy of the posts, there's a bundle over the ball and the referee has called for the TMO. It's Giovanbattista Venditti who has it - and he's clattered into the post, but appears to have control of the ball as he grounds it on the line...
34'George Fabio Biachi thinks he's clear - but as he scrambles through, the ball hits referee George Clancy. Scrum.
33'Big chance for Italy to make some ground from the lineout. It's another good maul towards the Scotland line as Parisse drives forward, but again the home defence remains strong.
29'Solid stuff from Scotland, who are passing the ball superbly well across the line. Italy, though, are standing firm. The Murrayfield crowd roars Vern Cotter's side further upfield but they're attack comes to nothing. Very tidy from the Scots thus far.
27'Absolutely no trouble at all for Laidlow, who converts easily to give his side a 16-8 lead.
27'16-8 Penalty goal - Greig Laidlaw , Scotland
26'We're away from the Scrum - Blair Cowan wins the advantage for Scotland and it's another penalty, this time the Italians give away a very soft offside.
22'Sergio Parisse so close to putting Leonardo Ghiraldini through - but the latter knocks on his captain's offload. Scotland's backs are standing firm, Tommy Seymour the latest to put in a crunching tackle.
20'Treatment for Mark Bennett after a big collision in the middle of the field - he gets up unscathed.
18'Another instant response from the visitors - this time Haimona does find his range with the boot as he finally lands a penalty. Scotland's lead back down to five.
18'13-8 Penalty goal - Kelly Haimona , Italy
16'13-5 Penalty goal - Greig Laidlaw , Scotland
15'Great rugby from Scotland, starting with a lovely take from the lineout. Peter Horne breaks through and offloads - but another Italy infringement forces the penalty. Laidlow dispatches perfectly to give Scotland an eight-point lead.
13'ESPN's Tristan Barclay at Murrayfield: "The strengths of both sides have been clear to see even in these opening 10 minutes. Scotland look excellent with the ball in hand, perfectly happy to throw it about inside their own 22. Italy, on the other hand, just barged their way over for that try, showing the muscle they have up front."
10'However, Haimona misses the conversion.
10'10-5 Try - Josh Furno , Italy
9'Try for Italy! Brilliant maul from the lineout deep in the Scotland half. The Italians drive, drive and drive before Joshua Furno creeps the ball over the line.
9'10-0 Conversion - Greig Laidlaw , Scotland
8'Laidlaw converts perhaps one of the easiest penalties you will ever see.
8'8-0 Try - Mark Bennett , Scotland
7'Big try for Scotland! Mark Bennett intercepts a loose pass from Haimona and races clear to dive under the posts.
3'Jonny Gray has a chance to break through - but knocks on, a rare mistake from the number five. We have our first Scrum.
2'Early Alex Dunbar run from his own 22 has the crowd on their feet - positive start from Scotland.
2'3-0 Penalty goal - Greig Laidlaw , Scotland
1'ESPN's Tristan Barclay at Murrayfield: "After touching down so early, Scotland looked for all the world like they were going to put down a marker here at Murrayfield today, but the last 25 minutes of that half were a very different story. It would be wrong to say Italy look the more 'threatening' side at the moment, but Scotland just aren't stopping them in their tracks. The hosts need to find a way to get the ball back into the hands of Peter Horne."
1'Early chance of points for the hosts as Scotland are awarded a penalty after 18 seconds. Simone Favaro punished - and Greig Laidlaw has no trouble sending the ball between the posts. Great start.
1'So, both Scotland and Italy are searching for their first win of the Six Nations in 2015. ESPN's Tristan Barclay is at a full Murrayfield: "It's a dank and gloomy afternoon here at Murrayfield, with the clouds hanging over us and the floodlights on already. Of more concern for the players, however, will be the swirling wind. The flags on top of the stadium can't decide which way they're blowing, but there's more than enough to disrupt a few kicks. How Italy could do without that"
1'0-0 Start of first half

Six Nations Championship 2015 News