Scotland Vs. Italy | Guinness Six Nations | 3 Key Takeaways From Edinburgh
Scotland Vs. Italy | Guinness Six Nations | 3 Key Takeaways From Edinburgh
Scotland saw off a spirited Italian fightback to secure a 31-19 Six Nations win at Murrayfield, with Huw Jones starring in a crucial bonus-point victory.

Scotland kicked off its Six Nations campaign with a hard-fought 31-19 victory over Italy at Murrayfield.
Despite a fast start, the hosts were pegged back by a resilient Italian side, before Huw Jones’s hat trick sealed the win.
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Italy showcased undeniable progress, staying competitive for 65 minutes, before Scotland’s clinical edge prevailed.
With attacking flair and defensive resilience on display, both teams provided a compelling contest.
As the Championship progresses, Scotland will aim for more consistency, while Italy’s continued rise suggests it's no longer a mere underdog.
Here are three key takeaways from the gripping encounter at Murrayfield:
Fits And Spurts
Coming out hot, as they often do, the Scottish looked set for a field day when they were up 14-0 inside the opening 10 minutes.
Showing all of the pizazz we associate with them, the Scots pulled off some beautiful moments of interplay between backs and forwards.
For all of their brilliance, their concession of kickable penalties kept Italy in touch, with Tommaso Allan taking his opportunities.
When Allan brought the visitors back within seven points, there was an air of anxious anticipation swirling around Murrayfield. This anxiety was heightened when Finn Russell missed that Ignacio Brex was lurking near his passing channel.
Latching onto a loose pass from Russell, the Italian center raced away from 60 meters to bring the score level at 19-19.
Now firmly on the back foot, the home side was forced to weather a barrage of Italian assaults.
To Scotland's credit, the team did just that, before landing two quick-fire counterpunches of its own.
Crossing the line twice through Huw Jones to complete a hat trick for the center, the home side could breathe a deep sigh of relief.
This ability to strike quickly can be viewed in two prisms.
In the dark timeline, Scotland will feel it should never have allowed the visitors back into the contest, while the attack stuttered for the best part of 40 minutes.
In a positive world, Scotland knuckled down and ground out a win, while taking chances when they appeared, something previous Scottish sides haven’t done.
In the end, five tries to one is a solid return, but against the bigger teams in the Championship, Scotland knows it will need to be more clinical.
Undeniable Progress
Long gone are the days of moral victories for this Italian side, which proved unequivocally to be the player in the Championship.
Sure, a title in 2025 might be a step too far, but Italy will back itself to pick up at least one, and perhaps two, victories this year.
Headlining this improvement is a more well-rounded game plan under Gonzalo Quesada than the one they employed when Kieran Crowley was in charge.
Keeping their attacking flair, while adding a hard edge defensively at set-piece time, ensures the Azzurri are a well-rounded side.
In the midfield, Tommaso Menencello and Ignacio Brex are as good as any combination in the Championship.
At fly-half, Paolo Garbisi has grown massively.
In the back three, Tommaso Allan brings solidity, while Ange Capuozzo, Simone Gesi and Monty Ioane bring a sprinkling of magic dust.
Up front, the pack is rock solid in every department, with several talented young operators indicating long-term consistency for the first time since joining the Championship 25 years ago.
Huw Jones On Fire
Without a doubt, the loss of Sione Tuipulotu is huge for Scotland on several fronts, namely in leadership and physicality at the line.
In the skipper’s absence, his long-term center partner, Huw Jones, stepped up as the main man in the backline.
Dotting down for three tries to get his team over the line, Jones was superb as he laid down a marker for a call-up to the British and Irish Lions tour later this year.
In the here and now, Jones offset a mini-Finn Russell meltdown as he straightened the Scottish attack when things were going laterally.
Linking beautifully with the Scottish outside backs, Jones ran textbook lines to finish off scores that, at face value, looked simple, but were highly technical.
Defensively, outside of Brex’s breakaway intercept try, Jones shut down the Italian midfield attack.
Overall, Jones had about as good of a showing as he ever has in a Scottish shirt.
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