1
{{item.n}}
Italy player ratings vs Scotland | 2026 Guinness Men's Six Nations
By Ian Cameron
Italy player ratings: A miserable Roman downpour that turned the ball into a bar of soap and the match into a straight fight for territory and Italy deservedly edged it 18-15.
Gonzalo Quesada men handled it better, leaned hard into kick chase in the first half and then let the scrum do some of the talking as Scotland started slipping.
Here’s how Italy rated:
15. Leonardo Marin – 6.5
Fumbled his first high ball but got away with it and looked nervy again when contesting one, kneeing it forward in the 16th minute. After that he played the conditions properly. His second-half kicking was smart and measured, taking the air out of Scotland’s backfield and giving the chase something to hunt.
VIDEO
14. Louis Lynagh – 7.5
Finished beautifully for the opener, catching and sliding in for his fourth Test try after Brex’s kick through. Brave in the air all day, including the contestable that helped create Italy’s second try. The second half brought a few blemishes, including a forward pass and a needless neck roll that killed a good position, but the last-minute tackle was pure desperation and pure value.
13. Juan Ignacio Brex – 8
On his 50th cap he produced the game’s cleanest piece of craft, an outstanding kick through for Lynagh’s try. In weather like this, that is basically gold dust. He stayed calm, stayed accurate and kept Italy’s shape intact when the match tried to dissolve into chaos.
12. Tommaso Menoncello – 8.5
Super physical in midfield and stout in defence, which was the baseline requirement. The extra was the damage he made with ball in hand, finishing with over 106 metres in torrential rain, which is absurd. Took his try well and kept hitting hard, giving Italy a proper edge through the middle.
11. Monty Ioane – 6
Set the tone early with his kick chase pressure and made serious metres when he finally got a sliver of space. Then the rain and the game got him. Turned over on 59 minutes, spoiled one backwards on 64 and Scotland snapped up the turnover. Missed tackles too, three of them, which is not ideal when every carry is a wrestling match.
10. Paolo Garbisi – 6.5
A weird day, which is the default setting for fly-halves in monsoon rugby. Snatched at a drop goal on advantage and missed it, then slotted the resulting penalty without fuss. Some of the tactical kicking was excellent at times, putting pressure on Scotland and forcing them long. The big negative was the cover for George Horne’s try, a touch naive and a moment that will linger.
9. Alessandro Fusco – 7
Played a good game for the conditions. His kicking was well judged and he had sharp moments at the base that kept Italy in the right areas. It was not glamorous, but it was controlled, and that mattered more than anything with the rain coming sideways.
8. Lorenzo Cannone – 7.5
A real presence at the breakdown early, and he won a great steal on the deck. Carried hard in the early second half and made major dents when Italy needed gain line without fuss. One sloppy moment in the 19th minute, penalised for not retreating, gifting Scotland a cheap attack near Italy’s line.
7. Manuel Zuliani – 5.5
Too quiet in the first half and then made a costly decision early in the second, isolated on a carry and penalised for holding on. In a match like this, that is oxygen straight back into the opposition.
6. Michele Lamaro – 8
Put Scotland under pressure at the breakdown and looked like he was enjoying the mess. Threw a peach of a pass for Menoncello’s try on the left flank and was immense at the lineout, both in detail and in leadership. In conditions where accuracy dies first, the skipper stayed sharp.
5. Andrea Zambonin – 8
Made a brilliant lineout steal at five minutes, a statement play in a game where possession was precious. The Exeter Chiefs’ man worked hard through the tight exchanges and helped Italy keep Scotland’s set piece uncomfortable.
4. Niccolo Cannone – 7
Tackled his guts out in a mixed bag of a day. Played close to the line at times and flirted with penalties, but also contributed heavily to Italy staying in the fight. Far from perfect, but never hid.
3. Simone Ferrari – 8
Under serious pressure early from Pierre Schoeman, but he kept his head and grew into it. His scrummaging got better and better and Italy finished the half on top, including the scrum that folded Scotland on 37 minutes. A proper tighthead performance.
2. Giacomo Nicotera – 6.5
Lost his footing on Jack Dempsey’s close-range try, which was a painful moment. Also missed tackles, three of them, but the work-rate was huge, over 20 tackles in those conditions is serious output. Not flawless, but the engine kept going.
1. Danilo Fischetti – 7
Gave away two penalties in the first 40, which kept Scotland interested. After that, he and Ferrari just got stronger and stronger. Italy’s scrum turned into a weapon as the match wore on, and Fischetti brought the right sort of edge, including a bit of needle with Fagerson.
Replacements – 6.5
A bench shift that was mostly about holding the line in awful conditions. Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, Mirco Spagnolo and Muhamed Hasa came into a set-piece battle that was already brutal, with Italy able to keep the scrum solid. Federico Ruzza was good at the lineout and did plenty of that quiet, necessary work, even if he was pinged for interference on a Scotland arm. Riccardo Favretto was steady. Giacomo Da Re and Lorenzo Pani were not given much time to leave a clear mark.
Create your ticketing account and unlock presale access for Rugby World Cup 2027 now!
