In pictures: Scotland’s last dozen rugby matches against Italy
Scotland play Italy this coming weekend in what was scheduled to be their final match of rugby’s 2021 Six Nations tournament but will now be their penultimate outing following the coronavirus-enforced postponement of their trip to France.
That game takes place at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium this Saturday, March 20, with kick-off at 2.15pm.
The Scots’ history against the Italians, like that of the other four countries represented in the Six Nations, is largely a happy one, the newcomers having been the tournament’s whipping boys more often than not since first competing in it in 2000.
Italy have ended up with the contest’s wooden spoon 15 times out of 21, with Scotland replacing them at the foot of the tournament table four times and the French and Welsh once each.
Scotland have played the Italians 32 times in all competitions, starting in 1996, winning 24 of those games and losing eight.
The Dark Blues have won all but one of their last dozen games against the Azzurri, the odd man out being a 22-19 home defeat in the Six Nations six years ago, a solitary try by Mark Bennett and four penalties out of four, plus a conversion, by Greig Laidlaw not being enough to avert a sixth defeat by their visitors in 11 years.
Here’s how their last 12 games went ...
1. Scotland v Italy at rugby
November 13, 2020: Italy 17, Scotland 28, Autumn Nations Cup Darcy Graham of Scotland and Marco Zanon of Italy competing for the ball at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence (Photo by Giampiero Sposito/Getty Images)
Photo: Giampiero Sposito
2. Scotland v Italy at rugby
February 22, 2020: Italy 0, Scotland 17 Scotland's Rory Sutherland pursuing Mattia Bellini at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)
Photo: Paolo Bruno
3. Scotland v Italy at rugby
February 2, 2019: Scotland 33, Italy 20, Six Nations Hawick's Stuart Hogg on the ball for Scotland at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Photo: Ian MacNicol
4. Scotland v Italy at rugby
March 17, 2018: Italy 27, Scotland 29 Stuart Hogg and Greig Laidlaw celebrating Scotland's victory by a whisker in their NatWest Six Nations match at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
Photo: Warren Little