Scotland v Italy (pre/during/post thread)

juvenal

Scotland v Italy
Saturday 28th Febuary 2009, 3.00pm (Irish)
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Live on RTÉ2, RTÉ.ie, RTÉ Radio 1; BBC1, BBC Radio 5 Live

Scotland|No.|Italy
Hugo Southwell|15|Andrea Marcato
Simon Danielli|14|Mirco Bergamasco
Max Evans|13|Gonzalo Javier Canale
Graeme Morrison|12|Gonzalo Garcia
Thom Evans|11|Matteo Pratichetti
Phil Godman|10|Luke McLean
Mike Blair|9|Paul Griffen
Allan Jacobsen|1|Salvatore Perugini
Ross Ford|2|Leonardo Ghiraldini
Euan Murray|3|Martin Castrogiovanni
Jason White|4|Santiago Dellape
Alastair Kellock|5|Marco Bortolami
Alasdair Strokosch|6|Alessandro Zanni
Simon Taylor|7|Mauro Bergamasco
John Barclay|8|Sergio Parisse

Scotland replacements: Dougie Hall, Alasdair Dickinson, Kelly Brown, Scott Gray, Chris Cusiter, Chris Paterson, Nick De Luca.

Italy replacements: Ongaro, Nieto, del Fava, Canavosio, Sole, Bacchetti, Rubini.

Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Touch judges: George Clancy (Ireland), Romain Poite (France)
TMO: Nigel Whitehouse (Wales)

Stev_o

This will be a blood bath i feel, won't be any love lost between these two sides! Should be extremely physical, here's hoping it ll be a great game. Come on Italy

Tristram

Forza Italia!

juvenal

Think there will be a real contest up front, but the Scots have the upper hand in the backline, and that's where the difference will be.

They played well in phases in Paris, and have a bit more firepower in the back division than the Italians. The Italians will need to really dominate the forwards and the set pieces to have a chance of winning here. Unfortunately I can't see them doing enough to beat the Scots in Murrayfield, and they'll be wooden spooners this year.

Scots by 10 or so.

ScholesyIsGod

Ya the Scots definitely have the better backline the Evans brothers look deadly when they get the ball in space, Godman as well i thought he had a fine game against France he ran it anytime he saw a gap. Probably not going to be a great game but Scots should have enough to win it.

cruiserweight

Hoping for a scots win, as others have said they have a few players in the back line who can actually score tries and that should be the difference

Sherifu

Italians are looking lively.

Sherifu

Nice drop goal from Parisse.

dreamer_ire

Sherifu wrote: »

Nice drop goal from Parisse.

Think I'd say good rather than nice

Crash

Hehehe yeah possibly not the smoothest kicking form i've ever seen, but it did the job

NickNolte

Italy putting up a fight but Scotland, while unconvincing, look like they're going to have the upper hand for most of this game.

Nappy

id put house on italia...

Sherifu

Finally something decent from the Scots.

dreamer_ire

Here's hoping he's not the only Ulster man to score today!

BOHSBOHS

was that try-scoring pass to danielli a touch forward?

Sherifu

BOHSBOHS wrote: »

was that try-scoring pass to danielli a touch forward?

Flat at best i'd say.

dreamer_ire

God this match has cured any pre-match nerves I had for our game.... just bored now

Sherifu

Latest effort looks in touch to me.

dreamer_ire

Yeah, and if he wasn't he dropped the ball. No try

Sherifu

Two very bad teams. Brutal game.

dreamer_ire

Can't see Scotland posing us too many problems in a couple of weeks. Without Parisse I think Italy wouldn't compete. One or two of the others are ok today (good generally) but Parisse is without doubt their best player today.

Sherifu

Parisse has been their best player by a ways for at least the last two years. Very talented athlete.

leeroybrown

I want my two hours back. At least they can only ruin one game between them this weekend!

Stev_o

Highlight of the match had to be the interview with Danelli

Interviewer. "Is it because your enjoying a new lease of life with Glasgow?"

Simon "No it's Ulster actually"

dreamer_ire

Stev_o wrote: »

Highlight of the match had to be the interview with Danelli

Interviewer. "Is it because your enjoying a new lease of life with Glasgow?"

Simon "No it's Ulster actually"

Made better by her saying she'd gotten ahead of herself and that he was on his way to Glasgow!

connundrum

Worst game I've seen in a while, but I was warned so..

Crash Bang Wall

Who was RBS man of the match in this?

Sherifu

Crash Bang Wall wrote: »

Who was RBS man of the match in this?

Danielli I think.

Crash Bang Wall

Thanks man

Tirabaralla

I couldn't watch the match but...sigh