Wooden spoon battle no place for purists

ITALY captain Marco Bortolami has warned rugby purists to stay clear of Murrayfield when his side go into battle with Scotland in what could prove to be the wooden-spoon decider in the RBS 6 Nations Championship.

The line-out specialist, who plays for Narbonne, believes the match between the weakest teams in the championship represents the Azzuri's brightest chance so far of picking up a precious victory away from home.

However, Bortolami, 24, forecasts a frantic encounter which is likely to be decided by the contest between the respective packs.

He said: "It will not be a pretty game because both teams are desperate to gain their first victory of the campaign.

"Scotland played extremely well against France in Paris, but not so well when Ireland came to Edinburgh.

"We are still very disappointed with our last game against Wales in Rome and we are thoroughly determined to right the wrongs.

"As a nation, our quest is to be respected as a team worthy of a place in this tournament and we can only do this by winning games."

Bortolami's sentiments were echoed by New Zealand-born coach John Kirwan, who stated: "Murrayfield is a passionate stadium and the Scottish crowd are also very passionate.

"We must keep calm in pressure situations and ensure that we remain focussed on the job for the whole 80 minutes.

"Some people have spoken about Italy being favourites to win. I don't agree with that assessment.

"Scotland know our style of play very well and the fact that they are on home turf will give them a distinct advantage.

"We have paid a high price for the errors we have made, both against Ireland and Wales.

"Scotland will also be perfectly capable of cashing in on these types of mistakes if we don't eradicate them."

Winger Mirco Bergamasco aims to give himself a late birthday present by scoring another try at Murrayfield.

Bergamasco, who turned 22 on Wednesday, snatched a touchdown after just four minutes of the 2003 match, which Italy went on to lose 33-25.

He smiled: "Another try at a great stadium like Murrayfield would be wonderful two would be even better! It would be the ideal birthday gift to me, and to the rest of the team."

Scotland winger Simon Webster has vowed to be single-minded when he wins his 10th cap against Italy this afternoon.

The Edinburgh player, who has been troubled by injury in recent months, replaces Simon Danielli in what is a crucial game for the struggling home side.

After defeats against France and Ireland, and a whitewash in last season's tournament, the pressure is on Matt Williams' side to get a win over the Italians.

But Webster's objective is to focus on vindicating his selection ahead of Danielli.

He said: "I guess there are pressures on us but to be honest, I'm concentrating on my own performance, I don't want to let anyone down at the weekend.

"It's not my decision that I didn't start the last two games but I've been backed by being picked for this team. There's a real desire to get tries and points and it doesn't matter if you're playing for your club or Scotland, you want to score tries.

"But Italy are not pushovers any more. They are good at mauling, their back line has come along and they don't make the mistakes that they used to make so it's going to be a tough match."