Women's Six Nations 2024: Scotland beat Italy 17-10 to go third in table
Women's Six Nations: Italy v Scotland |
|---|
Italy: (7) 10 |
Try: D'Inca Con: Rigoni Pen: Rigoni |
Scotland: (7) 17 |
Tries: Skeldon, Orr, Rollie Con: Nelson |
Scotland won in Italy in the Women's Six Nations for the first time to go third and boost their World Cup hopes.
Italy's Alyssa D'Inca and Scotland's Lana Skeldon exchanged converted tries in a tense first half.
Emma Orr and Chloe Rollie got the crucial scores to put the Scots 10 points ahead before Beatrice Rigoni's penalty brought Italy to 17-10 behind.
Rollie was yellow-carded late on, but Bryan Easson's side did enough to move above next week's hosts, Ireland.
Scotland have eight points, two ahead of Ireland and Italy, who play bottom side Wales in the final round.
The team finishing third will join tournament hosts England and France in the 2025 World Cup.
Italy contained a forceful Scotland in the opening 25 minutes then started to exert some pressure themselves as half-time neared.
A line-out on the left led to the opening try as Rigoni offloaded for D'Inca to exploit a gap and touch down. Rigoni converted.
However, Scotland responded almost straight away with Skeldon scoring off the back of a rolling maul and Helen Nelson kicking well to draw Scotland level.
The Scots almost fell behind again when Lisa Thomson's clearing kick was charged down and Sara Tounesi burst into the 22, but Evie Gallagher rescued the visitors before Sofia Stefan spilled the ball to ease the pressure.
Another charged down kick, this time by Giordana Duca on Caity Mattinson, gave Scotland another nervous moment, but again they frustrated their hosts.
Orr offloaded for Rhona Lloyd in one promising Scotland advance and the ball was recycled from right to left with Italy again forcing the error.
However, Scotland finally led for the first time when Aura Muzzo and Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi contrived to give up possession and Orr waltzed through to touch down. Nelson's conversion attempt was unsuccessful.
Orr was integral to the next Scottish try as she passed into the path of Rollie's darting run, which the Italians could not halt short of the line. Nelson kicked the conversion wide.
A second successful kick by Rigoni brought Italy back within seven and set up a tense finale.
Easson's team continued to press and Rollie almost found a way through for her 21st international try and a bonus point, but Stefan's tackle was up to the task.
Rollie was sin-binned in the final minute for a dangerous clean out, but the full-time whistle soon brought elation for Easson's players as Scotland celebrated a first win on Italian soil since 1999.
Italy: Minuzzi, Muzzo, D'Inca, Rigoni, Granzotto, Madia, Stefan; Turani, Vecchini, Seye, Tounesi, Duca, Arrighetti, Sgorbini, Giordano (capt).
Replacements: Gurioli, Maris, Gai, Fedrighi, Locatelli, Veronese, Mannini,Capomaggi.
Scotland: Rollie, Lloyd, Orr, Thomson, McGhie, Nelson, Mattinson; Wright, Skeldon, Belisle, Donaldson, McMillan, Malcolm (capt), Stewart, Gallagher.
Replacements: Martin, Bartlett, Clarke, McIntosh, McLachlan, McDonald, Smith, Grant.
