McGeechan bids farewell with win

Scotland 33 Italy 25

Ian McGeechan said farewell to the Scotland coaching job with a narrow win over an improving Italy side.

The home side were aiming to present McGeechan with a face-saving victory in his final RBS 6 Nations match against Italy in Edinburgh this afternoon.

McGeechan, whose job is currently being advertised in the southern hemisphere, was desperately hoping for a pre-World Cup boost after a desperately disappointing European championship.

At least with Wales having been condemned to the wooden spoon following their defeat in Paris, some of the pressure was lifted off the Scots and today’s Murrayfield combatants were out to secure fourth place in the battle of the also-rans.

McGeechan kept faith with the team that lost 40-9 to England and for the third time in four games failed to cross their opponents’ try-line.

Italy, led by scrum-half Alessandro Troncon on his record-breaking 76th appearance, were looking to claim their first away win in the championship to add to home successes over Scotland and Wales.

The Scots, of course, need no reminding of their ignominious 34-20 defeat in Rome three years ago and they were far from convincing in gaining a 23-19 victory in this fixture two years ago.

The Azzurri paid the penalty for woeful openings in their back-to-back defeats by England and France but today they made the best possible start with a try inside four minutes.

Flanker Aaron Persico made the initial inroads into the Scottish defence by tearing away from the base of a scrum on the home 22 and Ramiro Pez and Giovanni Raineri worked out quick ball for 20-year-old full-back Mirco Bergamasco to cross wide out for his third try for his country.

Pez was wide with the conversion but succeeded with a 40-metre penalty on nine minutes as the game began at a frantic pace.

In between, Chris Paterson pulled three points back with a penalty and Scotland went in front with two tries in four minutes after some enterprising attacking play.

First flanker Jason White powered his way past Pez to score only his side’s fourth try of the championship and then a superb break from Kenny Logan split the Italian defence and set up the position for Gregor Townsend to get centre James McLaren racing in.

Paterson was unable to add either conversion and Pez was also wide with a second penalty attempt as the Scots led 13-8 after a lively opening quarter.

The rejuvenated Scots managed to maintain the pressure and, when Italy were caught offside in front of their own posts, Paterson stretched the lead to 16-8 with his second penalty.

But the Italians, playing with flair and passion, were in no mood to roll over and, after Paterson came up with a last-ditch tackle on winger Denis Dallan, Pez dummied his way past Gordon Bulloch for their second try.

He tagged on the goal to bring his side to within a point.

Inside centre Andy Craig, put into a gap by the astute Townsend, looked all on a scorer until he was collared from behind by Dallan.

But there was no stopping the ever-threatening Logan when he took a quick tap penalty close the line and went past a slow defence to score a third try.

Paterson’s angled conversion extended Scotland’s lead to a worthy 23-15 by half-time.

Veteran Italian winger Paulo Vaccari, playing his last match before heading into retirement, was replaced at the start of the second half by South African Gert Peens, who went to full-back.

Scotland, too, suffered a blow when White limped off just two minutes after the re-start, to be replaced by Ross Beattie, and they were forced to defend desperately as the visitors stepped up a gear.

The thin blue line held firm but Pez reduced the deficit to 23-18 with a 51st-minute penalty.

Play then became scrappy, with both teams committing a series of handling errors in an attempt to gain the upper hand as the game entered a crucial phase.

Scotland were becoming increasingly edgy as the Italians battled away for the decisive score but the tension was briefly calmed on 63 minutes thanks to some opportunist play from number eight forward Simon Taylor.

The Edinburgh man broke away from a scrum, leaving Troncon in his wake, to feed Paterson and the winger cleverly chipped the ball over Peens to gather and score.

That took Paterson’s points tally for Scotland past the century mark and he added the conversion for good measure to put his side 30-18 ahead.

But replacement back row forward Scott Palmer crashed over from Troncon’s short pass for Italy’s third try on 68 minutes and Pez kicked his fourth goal to set up a nailbiting finish.

Paterson then had the final say with a 42-metre penalty a minute into stoppage time, much to the relief of the 45,739 crowd.