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Scotland player ratings: One can only presume that the Italians watched the Pumas upset win over New Zealand earlier in the day, such was the ferocity of their performance in Florance. The Azzurri played like men fighting for their very place at rugby’s top table.
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Gregor Townsend’s charges may have run out 28-17 in their maiden Autumn Nations Cup appearance, but sadly, once again Scotland have failed to kick on from a big performance the week before. Here’s our Scotland player ratings:
15. STUART HOGG CAPTAIN – 5
The Scottish skipper was kept busy by the Italians and his booming boot regularly relieving pressure for his teammates. Got caught when waiting for a chip over the top to dribble its way across Scotland’s line, with Luke Pearce spotting the Exeter Chief carrying it over.
14. DARCY GRAHAM – 6
Didn’t see a huge amount of ball in the first half and had three missed tackles to his name after the first 40 minutes. Got a few more touches in the second and was unlucky not to score off a hard-fought Thomson turnover, bumping a defender before being brought down in Italy’s 22.
13. CHRIS HARRIS – 5
He’s tremendously effective in defence but the big centre’s handling let him down at times.
12. SAM JOHNSON – 5
Some fine handling helped put Weir away at the start of the second-half. A relatively quiet outing.
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11. DUHAN VAN DER MERWE – 8
The big man came in off the wing to score his second try in as many games for Scotland. A 6’4, 106kg strikes runner, Van Der Merwe poses an imposing, predatory threat on the Scottish flanks and 119 post-contact metres from 9 carries made him Scotland’s most potent attacking weapon by a stretch.
10. DUNCAN WEIR – 7.5
It’s been a minute since ‘Meatball’ last pulled on the blue jersey and getting bumped off by centre Marco Zanon for the Italian’s opening try will have stung the Worcester Warrior. That said, he made up for it, playing teammates into gaps and kicking Scotland around the park. Kept the troops gee’d up with plenty of verbals and was rewarded with a try of his own.
9. ALI PRICE – 6
Controlled the game well, even if the speed of his service waxed and waned at times.
1. RORY SUTHERLAND – 3
Maybe the first time that Sutherland has ever truly been rolled at Test level at scrum time. The sight of him being carried off after 16 minutes will worry Townsend and co.
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2. STUART MCINALLY – 6
A return to form for the co-captain, whose industry impressed on both sides of the ball.
This one hung in the balance for quite a while #ITAvSCO #AutumnNationsCuphttps://t.co/yjZZjU1DNG
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 14, 2020
3. ZANDER FAGERSON – 7
After an appalling start at scrum time, Fagerson was all smiles when he flopped over the line to grab a rare try in odd circumstances. A massive, pressure-relieving turnover in the 65th minute would also prove crucial.
4. SCOTT CUMMINGS – 6
Grabbed a vital Scotland try after the blue brigade pitched up at the Italians try line. It was just reward for a solid shift.
5. JONNY GRAY – 5
Missed two tackles, a real anomaly for one of professional rugby’s most effective and machine-like tacklers. Struggled to make metres post-contact despite nine carries.
I just watched Jonny Gray miss a tackle. #ITAvSCO
— Jim Hamilton (Vice Captain) (@jimhamilton4) November 14, 2020
6. JAMIE RITCHIE – NA
Lost the battle to contain Italian loose-forward Bram Steyn in the early exchanges and came off injured after just 14 minutes with a HIA and didn’t return.
7. HAMISH WATSON – 7
Was typically limpet-like over the ball on the back foot. It’s his explosive carrying ability marks him out from the breakdown masters like Pocock, Warburton and McCaw and he was central to Scotland’s fight back.
8. BLADE THOMSON – 5
Part of a back row unit that was collectively and individually outplayed by their opposite numbers in the first half. A masterful turnover from the Scarlets No.8 nearly resulted in a try for Graham.
SUBSTITUTES
17. OLI KEBBLE – 6
The hulking prop was frequently involved after coming on early, even if at times his skill level didn’t quite match his ambitions. His heft and power told and he was heavily involved throughout.
20. NICK HAINING – 5
Despite coming on as a sub for Ritchie, he was subbed off for Sam Skinner around the 60-minute mark. Struggled to make a mark on the game.
Comments on RugbyPass
The rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
65 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
9 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
9 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
9 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
9 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
9 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
2 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to comments