Six Nations 2013: Scotland 34-10 Italy
- From the section Rugby Union
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Scotland (13) 34
- Tries:
- Visser, Scott, Hogg, Lamont
- Cons:
- Laidlaw 4
- Pens:
- Laidlaw 2
Italy (3) 10
- Try:
- Zanni
- Con:
- Burton
- Pen:
- Orquera
Stuart Hogg scored a spectacular solo try against Italy as Scotland secured their record Six Nations win and their first in the tournament for two years.
Scotland were full of intensity from the off and went 13-0 up through Tim Visser's try and Greig Laidlaw's boot.
Luciano Orquera made it 13-3 with a penalty but Matt Scott scored a converted try soon after the break.
Hogg claimed an 80m interception try and Sean Lamont also crossed before Alessandro Zanni's consolation score.
Scotland, whose previous record win in the Championship was the 32-10 victory against Ireland in 2001, went into the game fearing a repeat of 2007, when Italy secured what remains their only away win in the Six Nations by triumphing at Murrayfield.
The Azzurri were full of confidence after their fine display against France, while Scotland were on the wrong end of a heavy defeat away to England.
The Scots were out-fought and out-muscled at Twickenham, but they were a different proposition in Edinburgh and flew into the breakdown.
That meant Italy were always on the back foot and the likes of Azzurri fly-half Orquera, so commanding last weekend, were shadows of the players they were in Rome.
In contrast the Scottish half-backs enjoyed the chance to play front foot rugby and some superb finishing from their talented runners out wide was rapturously received by the success-starved Scottish fans.
The hosts could have taken an early lead but Laidlaw's grubber kick bounced wickedly to elude the on-rushing Visser.
But Laidlaw knocked over two penalties to get the scoreboard ticking over and with Scotland attacking rucks with far more urgency than they managed against England, Italy were always in trouble.
A superb tackle from the covering Tobias Botes denied Scott but the hosts scored their first try when Jackson dummied and fed Netherlands-born winger Visser, who stepped off his left foot and powered over.
Orquera, who had missed an early penalty, made no mistake just before the break to make it 13-3 to the hosts at half-time, but the Scots remained in total control in the second half.
They added a second try when former Canterbury Crusader Sean Maitland came off the blind-side wing to make the initial bust and Scott was on his shoulder to arc round last man Orquera and score.
Italy looked like they might hit back as Orquera tried to free centre Tommaso Benvenuti 10m from the Scottish line, but Hogg had read the fly-half's mind and was already setting sail for the Italian line 80m away.
He scythed past Martin Castrogiovanni and Botes before burning off the chasing defence to score one of the great solo tries of the Six Nations.
Scott was denied a second try by a marginal forward pass decision, but the hosts did not have to wait long for a fourth as Lamont picked up a loose ball to stride over.
Laidlaw converted all three tries and although Zanni profited from Sergio Parisse's fine pass to grab Italy's consolation try, Scotland will welcome Ireland to Edinburgh in a fortnight's time with more optimism than they have felt for quite some time.
Team line-ups
Scotland: 15-Stuart Hogg, 14-Sean Maitland, 13-Sean Lamont, 12-Matt Scott, 11-Tim Visser, 10-Ruaridh Jackson, 9-Greig Laidlaw; 1-Ryan Grant, 2-Ross Ford, 3-Euan Murray, 4-Richie Gray, 5-Jim Hamilton, 6-Robert Harley, 7-Kelly Brown (capt), 8-Johnnie Beattie
Replacements: 16-Pat MacArthur, 17-Moray Low (for Grant, 59), 18-Geoff Cross (for Murray, 70), 19-Alastair Kellock (for Hamilton, 66), 20-David Denton, 21-Henry Pyrgos (for Laidlaw, 75), 22-Duncan Weir, 23-Max Evans (for Hogg, 72).
Italy: 15-Andrea Masi, 14-Giovanbattista Venditti, 13-Tommaso Benvenuti, 12-Gonzalo Canale, 11-Luke McLean, 10-Luciano Orquera, 9-Tobias Botes; 1-Andrea Lo Cicero, 2-Leonardo Ghiraldini, 3-Martin Castrogiovanni, 4-Quintin Geldenhuys, 5-Francesco Minto, 6-Alessandro Zanni, 7-Simone Favaro, 8-Sergio Parisse (capt)
Replacements: 16-Davide Giazzon, 17-Alberto De Marchi (for Lo Cicero, 59), 18-Lorenzo Cittaldini (for Castrogiovanni, 63), 19-Antonio Pavanello, 20-Paul Derbyshire (for Favaro, 67), 21- Eduardo Gori (for Botes, 59), 23-Kris Burton (for Orquera, 48), 23-Gonzalo Garcia
Match officials
Referee: Jaco Peyper (SA)
Touch judges: John Lacey (Ire) and Leighton Hodges (Wal)
TV: Marshall Kilgore (Ire)
