18-15: Italy avoids the ‘wooden spoon’ of the Six Nations Tournament in its first match

The Italian rugby team, led by Argentine Gonzalo Quesada, once again showed its progress by defeating Scotland in an exciting match that was decided in the last minutes, when the defense of the “azzurra” ruined a long attack by the visitors, which if it had crossed the local goal line would have given the victory to the XV del Cardo

Italy already won the last match in the Olympics (31-29) in which the Scots traveled to Rome in 2024 and in the last two seasons of the Six Nations it avoided the “wooden spoon” that is awarded to those who lose all their games and that normally since it entered this competition in 2000 it received. In 2024 and 2025, Wales was “the winner”. This Saturday was the third time that the transalpines have beaten Scotland in the last 16 games.

With a climate more typical of Edinburgh or Glasgow than the “Eternal City”, Gonzalo Quesada’s team did not hold anything back and soon crossed the Caledonian line through Lynagh and Menoncello. Two tries partly wiped out by Dempsey’s, brought about by a momentary superiority of the Scottish forward. (12-7, in the 24th minute).

Paolo Garbisi missed a drop shot shortly after the 30th minute, but he made up for his mistake by passing the first penalty shot between the sticks for his team. Minutes later, they tried again with the same negative result for the locals, who went into the break with a 15-7 lead.

Russell closed the gap with a blow after the restart, Ashman was about to see yellow for a high tackle and Garbisi’s leg distanced his team again: 18-10, in the 50th, through another penalty blow.

The yellow card that the visiting number 2 did not see, was seen by his teammate Turner, in the 54th minute, for charging sideways into the shoulder of an opponent. The Scottish number 16 thus ruined an attack by his team already in the rival 22 when it seemed that the direction of the match could change.

In fact, Horne took advantage of a side kick to score the second try for the British, which Russell did not pass between the sticks, to enter only three down (18-15) in the last stretch of the game.

The decisions of the Garbisi, Paolo and Alessandro, the Caledonian errors and the local lead prevented Gregor Townsend’s team from entering the Italian field already on the edge of regulation time. However, the Cardo team would have one last chance, after the 80th minute, to win.

A great “azzurra” defense left Scotland in nothing, which begins, unlike Italy, its participation in the 2026 Six Nations very conditioned.