Kyle Steyn repeatedly backs Gregor Townsend in aftermath of Italy defeat

Kyle Steyn insisted the Scotland squad must ignore the external noise after pressure intensified on Gregor Townsend following Saturday’s dismal Guinness Six Nations defeat by Italy in rain-lashed Rome.

The Scots opened their campaign by going down 18-15 to the pumped-up Azzurri at Stadio Olimpico, bringing renewed calls for the long-serving head coach to go.

Townsend’s faltering side arrived at the 2023 World Cup ranked fifth in the world but will now slip to 10th on the back of a second defeat by Italy in the space of two years.

The 52-year-old’s position was already under scrutiny after a disappointing autumn series and his contentious decision to take on a part-time consultancy role with Red Bull around the same time as he extended his contract with the national team until the end of the 2027 World Cup.

Townsend said after Saturday’s damaging defeat in Rome that he “absolutely” still had the appetite to remain in charge and replied “I want to be” when asked if he expected to be at the helm for next Saturday’s Calcutta Cup match at home to England.

“We’re all behind Gregor,” said Glasgow wing Steyn. “I think it comes down to the boys that were on the pitch because we had the game-plan for these conditions.

“We’re all behind Gregor. I understand that there’s a lot of noise outside of our huddle around that, but we’re not focused on that. We’re focused on what’s being said inside.

“We’re all behind him, behind (captain) Sione (Tuipulotu) and ready to rip into next week.”

The Scotland camp had spoken extensively in the build-up to the championship about “honest conversations” and “learnings” that had been taken since squandering a 21-0 lead in losing to Argentina in November.

But they found themselves 12-0 down within 14 minutes in Rome following tries by Louis Lynagh and Tommaso Menoncello.

The Scots kept themselves in contention with scores from Jack Dempsey and replacement George Horne but rarely looked like getting their noses in front as Italy closed out a deserved victory.

“After everything that happened in autumn and the way we’d been training the last two weeks, ready and excited to get the Six Nations campaign started, it’s massively disappointing,” said Steyn.

“We weren’t good enough at stacking positive moments. Every time we did something good, then we’d do something that let us down.

“Whether it was losing the set-piece or our discipline let us down or we just knocked the ball on in our phase attack, we just didn’t do a good enough job stacking positives.”

Steyn is braced for a week of soul-searching ahead of the visit of England.

“I feel the one thing we’ve been really good at is confronting things head-on,” he said. “I think we just need more of that this week.

“As a playing group, we need to own up to the fact that everything was in place. It’s with the 23 that were out there.

“It’s on us to know if we get the chance again next week, to make sure we make it right.”