Italy 12 Scotland 16: Pyrgos try steals late victory for Scotland

While pleased with the win in the Stadio Olimpico, Cotter insisted there was still substantial room for improvement.

Duncan Weir converted to add to his three first-half penalties.

Henry Pyrgos’s late try ensured the Scots edged a boring encounter in Turin.

The New Zealander has been running his eye over his infringe players, both in this match, and against Ireland and next week’s return clash with Italy at Murrayfield will see World Cup certainties such as Stuart Hogg, Greig Laidlaw and Finn Russell enter the fray.

Scotland raced to a 6-0 lead thanks to a pair of early Weir penalties as Italy paid the price for indiscipline, although Allan brought Italy level at 9-9 on the stroke of half time. But it could have gone either way, so we need to improve, be more accurate.

“But as soon as we stopped giving away needless penalties we were much better”.

“The Irish game was an open, fairly fluid affair for the most part but I think the Italy game will be a tighter battle so we’ll be looking, perhaps, to play a bit differently”.

“We made it hard for ourselves but then we found a way to win and that’s important”.

Former Scotland under-20 fly-half Tommaso Allan, rarely used in the Six Nations, was solid in the absence of New Zealand-born Kelly Haimona, who is ruled out of the tournament with injury. They included a good shift from John Hardie on his debut, his 14 tackles inside an hour evidence of his workrate, and Scott. Rugby is a construction game. For Scotland to give me this opportunity is incredible and I wanted to grab it with both hands and show that I can be what they need.

“It was good to be get back into a starting line-up”, he said. “But I just have to accept that I am not going to be as fit as I would be having played a few games, so I have just parked that up for the next time”.

At least Henry Pyrgos’ late try avoided a seventh straight defeat for Scotland but Vern Cotter will still have plenty to chew on after these two sides served up another nail-biting finish.

Italy: Masi, Sarto, G. Benvenuti, Garcia, Venditti, Allan, Palazzani, Aguero, Giazzon, Cittadini, Geldenhuys (c), Bernabo, Minto, Zanni, Vunisa.

Packing down with McInally are Glasgow prop duo Gordon Reid and Mike Cusack while captain Grant Gilchrist is joined by Richie Gray in the second row. Replacements: Horne for Vernon (74), Hoyland for Hughes (67), Pyrgos for Hidalgo-Clyne (64), Dickinson for Reid (44), Ford for McInally (56), Nel for Cusack (49), Watson for Hardie (58).