Scotland Player Ratings vs Italy In Round One Of The Guinness Six Nations

Scotland player ratings after an 18 - 15 Six Nations loss to Italy in Rome, as Gregor Townsend’s side struggle in brutal conditions at the Stadio Olimpico.

Feb 7, 2026 by Philip Bendon

Scotland Player Ratings vs Italy In Round One Of The Guinness Six Nations

Gregor Townsend’s Scotland got their 2026 Guinness Six Nations campaign off to a disappointing start with an 18 – 15 loss to Italy at a rain soaked Stadio Olimpico.

Conceding two early tries to Louis Lynagh and Tomasso Menoncello, Scotland were never able to overhaul their hosts at any point in the fixture.

Despite being thoroughly outplayed, George Horne’s 66^th minute gave his side hope of what would’ve been a morale boosting win.

Instead, Scotland could not get enough of a foothold in the Italian territory and were eventually held up with time expired and the home supporters erupted into wild celebrations.

Here is how the Scottish players rated in Rome.

1. Pierre Schoeman – 2

Departed for a HIA in the first half only to return a scrum where the Scottish pack was shunted backwards. This trend continued as Italy battered Scotland at scrum time in dramatic fashion. Around the park, the normally dynamic carrier was stunted by the Italian defence every time he carried.

2. Ewan Ashman – 2

Struggled to find his marks at lineout time which cost his side nearly when they were chasing the game in tough conditions. His high tackle in the 48^th minute cost his side majorly. Instead of Rory Darge winning a penalty and Finn Russell clearing their lines, Garbisi knocked over three points to reestablish a two score lead. This would be his last action before being replaced.

3. Zander Fagerson – 2

Conceded a disappointing first half knock-on and got clattered at scrum time in monsoon conditions. At no point did Fagerson manage to get to grips with the Italian scrum, this filtered into the rest of his game where he was a non-factor.

4. Scott Cummings - 4

A challenging outing for the Lions secondrow, unable to secure clean ball on their own throw and rarely challenging the hosts. A knock-on in the 76^th minute cost Scotland valuable time to get a late score for a result.

5. Grant Gilchrist – 3

Plucked from the action early in the second half, Gilchrist had one of his quietest showings in a Scottish shirt. Unable to get to grips with the lineout and largely ineffective around the park, the Edinburgh lock will be frustrated with his performance.

6. Matt Fagerson - 6

Conceded a penalty in the 33^rd minute for jumping across the lineout which allowed Italy to go beyond a score ahead. This moment perhaps encapsulated the usually abrasive backrow who still topped the tackle charts for his side but just could not make an impact on the contest.

7. Rory Darge – 6.5

Saved Scotland from an early Italian try with a well-timed turnover in the 41^st minute. Seven minutes later he won another key penalty only to have it overturned when George Turner was pinged for an illegal clean-out at the breakdown.

8. Jack Dempsey – 8.5

Stepped beautifully in a tight carry to crash over for a much needed try in the 23^rd to get his side back into the contest. Away from this moment he was Scotland’s guaranteed go-forward carrier all afternoon. Topping the carry charts with 20 for 53 meters was key to Scotland still being in with a shot late in the match.

9. Ben White – 6

Persisted with the box kick in monsoon conditions which proved to be his side’s best entry into attacking areas. Not every kick was pinpoint, but most were. Away from the kicking game, the Toulon nine struggled to get his backline moving

10. Finn Russell – 4

Exceptionally quiet which was unsurprising given how much his pack were on the back foot throughout the contest. A kick-off straight into touch cost his side a penalty when the Italian scrum blitzed Scotland. His missed conversion denied Scotland a chance to sneak a win with a late drop goal but in his defence, the conditions were brutally tough, and the kick was right on the touchline. On the whole it was a poor outing for Russell.

11. Jamie Dobie – 3

Playing out of position following a run of strong position for Glasgow on the wing, the scrumhalf lost an early aerial contest with Louis Lynagh in the build-up to the opening try. This try continued throughout the first half with Lynagh winning the aerial head-to-head. Getting his positioning wrong at a kick-off just after Scotland had closed back into within a score was costly as Italy eventually won a penalty which Garbisi slotted. This would be his final action before Darcy Graham replaced him in the 50^th minute.

12. Sione Tuipulotu – 6

Pinged for a penalty in the 31^st minute in a bid to limit Lynagh contesting with Dobie in the air. Away from this moment, the Scottish skipper had a few crucial interventions with diving on loose balls and making last ditch tackles. In attack, his impact was limited which again is unsurprising given how little quality ball the Scottish backline had.

13. Huw Jones - 3

Marshalled out of the fixture by the Italian defence and weather conditions, the dynamic Jones struggled with his few interventions. Missing Tom Jordan with a poor pass when a try was on in the 64^th minute perhaps sums up his challenging afternoon.

14. Kyle Steyn – 6

Work rate personified with a moment where he competed for a kick-off before turning and chasing down Monte Ioane when Italy looked to go end-to-end. On a more disappointing note, he was caught in no man’s land for Menoncello’s try. On the whole it was a mixed bag with positive moments in the air and some frustrating attempts with ball in hand.

15. Tom Jordan – 3

Pulled out of position for Lynagh’s try in what appeared to be a breakdown in communication between the back-three. Away from this moment, Jordan was pretty anonymous.

Replacements

16. George Turner – 3

Came on early in the second half in a bid to shore up the lineout but unfortunately the struggles continued. A yellow card in the 54^th minute overturned a promising attacking position for Scotland and allowed Italy to clear their lines.

17. Nathan McBeth – 4

Did relatively well at scrum time given how dominant Italy were all contest and had a few decent carries when Scotland were attacking the Italian defence.

18. Elliot Millar Mills – 3

Conceded a ludicrous penalty in the 69^th minute just when Scotland were getting back into the contest. Outside of one scrum penalty won, it was a tough outing for the Northampton Saint.

19. Max Williamson – 3

Had a limited impact on the action when he entered the clash with just 1 carry and 3 tackles.

20. Gregor Brown – 3

Not for a lack of effort but the Warriors utility forward just didn’t quite get to the pitch of contest. A crucial knock-on early in his cameo and then a forward pass off a lineout trick play were both big moments.

21. George Horne – 8.5

Massively upped the ante when he came on in the 63^rd minute, the Glasgow scrumhalf nailed his box kicks and offered a key running threat at the base. His quick thinking and pace to race into the corner in the 66^th minute brought Scotland back from the brink.

22. Adam Hastings – N/A

An unused sub.

23. Darcy Graham – 5

Solidified the backfield with his coverage and special awareness. In attack, the little magician had very few opportunities to make anything happen.

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