Try-shy Scots warned to step up a gear

Scotland captain Chris Paterson has challenged his team to build on the solid groundwork they put in for their 21-9 victory over Wales in miserable conditions at Murrayfield a week last Saturday.

The Scots welcome Italy to Edinburgh on Saturday, and while the Azzurri may be bottom of the RBS Six Nations table, Paterson knows his men are in for a tough contest.

The visitors have lost both their games so far this season but they pushed England all the way at Twickenham last time out, and their pack is a handful for any opposition.

“The Welsh performance was a benchmark we can’t afford to drop below, particularly in the forwards,” said Paterson.

“It was a brilliant performance against Wales, but the players know it will have to be better against Italy on Saturday – and I’m sure it will be.

“We know it wasn’t perfect against Wales. We could have scored four tries but we didn’t score any, and I think that is something that has been highlighted.

“We’re happy with the opportunities we created but we are unhappy that we failed to make the most of them.

“So that is something that we have to improve on, because we can’t continue winning without scoring tries.”

He added: “Having said that, it is worth noting that we came within two or three inches of scoring tries on three separate occasions against Wales – so we are not that far away.

“We’ve been criticised in the past for not making opportunities but now we are making them and we are playing rugby in the right area of the pitch – so I have no doubt that the tries will come.”

Italy are often regarded as the whipping boys of the Six Nations, but in recent seasons they have become a highly competitive outfit – and Paterson knows what it is like to captain a losing side against them.

He led the Scots throughout their disastrous Six Nations whitewash in 2004, which included a 20-14 defeat in Rome.

The 28-year-old is confident that Scotland can avoid history repeating itself on Saturday, but only if his team gives the visitors the respect they deserve.

He said: “They are a very physically strong team and they play at a frenetic pace. In defence they come up quick and hard to put you under pressure, and their physicality is very disruptive.

“They’ve only missed seven tackles in two games, so they are going to take a bit of breaking down.

“I’ve been thinking about this a lot – and the top players at a number of the top clubs in Europe are Italian.

“When Edinburgh played Gloucester this year, Marco Bortolami and Carlos Nieto were outstanding.

“You watch Stade Francais with Sergio Parisse and the two Bergamasco brothers doing the business there; and Martin Castrogiovanni is a key man at Leicester - so a lot of the top players in Europe are Italians.

“When they come together under a good coach like Pierre Berbizier, then you know it is going to be a huge challenge – and not only for the forwards.

“Their back are capable of scoring tries, and they have scored tries against us in the past.

“This is a huge game for us. The Italians target Scotland every year, and make no secret of the fact that this is the game they want to win away from home.

But we will be concentrating on ourselves at Murrayfield with the fans behind us. And if we can get a record attendance against Italy that will drive us on to get the victory.“