Varney stuns Scotland as Italy end home winless streak in Six Nations thriller

Two teams with an appetite to run it from deep. A packed out Stadio Olimpico for the first time in a Six Nations game since 2016. Beautiful Roman sunshine washing over a pristine carpet of green. This sport is often a slog in the mud but sometimes, as it was here, it’s a thing of beauty. Whirring limbs and dancing feet and silky touches and delicate kicks. Italy edged it with a thrilling 31-29 victory, but Scotland played their part in the show. It might sound corny, but rugby really was the ultimate winner.

Of course, that will be scant consolation to Scotland, who were magnificent in parts, particularly in the opening 20 minutes when George Horne at scrum-half kept the ball fizzing at a frenetic pace. But rather than prove that they’re a different sort of Scotland, one that takes aim at Triple Crowns and top-two finishes in the Championship, they succumbed to an Italian team that is now unquestionably a force on the rise.

It was the home side that opened the scoring, thanks to a Paolo Garbisi penalty that was a callback to the closing scenes of the 13-13 draw with France two weeks ago. Again the ball fell from the tee as Garbisi approached to kick. Except this time he composed himself to slot it through the poles.

Then Scotland got going. It was as if they had instruction to only pass the ball once they could smell the breath of the Italian defenders. First Zander Fagerson burrowed over after 18 phases then Kyle Steyn dotted down when he received swift service off the back of Finn Russell straightening in the carry.

Italy needed a response and provided one with a stunner. A penalty on the ground was hoofed to the corner where a lineout maul was set. The scrum-half, Martin Page-Relo, shifted back to first receiver where he sucked in two defenders before dinking a delicious kick over the onrushing Scottish wall. Juan Ignacio Brex surged upfield to snaffle the ball centimetres above the deck to complete the score.

It was like watching two knockout artists throw haymakers at each other. There were intercepts, breakdown battles, off-loads and a 50-22 kick, delivered from Russell’s boot which set up a lineout deep in Italian territory. The throw was secured and ended with Pierre Schoeman rumbling across from the rolling maul. Russell missed the conversion, his first from 18 shots at goal in this championship, but Garbisi and Page-Relo were on target for two penalties that made it 16-22 at the break.

Scotland thought they had their bonus-point shortly after the restart when Huw Jones dummied and unleashed Horne on the support line. But Schoeman was rightly penalised for taking out Ross Vintcent off the ball. That proved to be a turning point as Garbisi soon had the ball on the front foot and grubbered through Scottish legs to find Louis Lynagh on the charge. The Harlequins winger and former England age-group prospect gathered on the gallop and muscled over for a memorable debut try.

Now Italy had their tails up. Gloucester’s Stephen Varney replaced Page-Relo to bring extra zip around the fringe and bagged a sniping try on 57 minutes when he picked up the pieces from a Vintcent burst. That nudged the home team in front with Garbisi’s extras opening a six-point lead.

Scotland had a fourth try with replacement Sam Skinner sliding under the poles. Russell rushed the successful conversion but couldn’t find the magic spark to steal the win at the death. Italy held on for a first home win in the competition for 11 years.