RBS Six Nations – Scotland Lose in Rome.

Italy’s South African-born fly-half Roland de Marigny kicked 15 points to inspire his side to a 20-14 RBS Six Nations victory over Scotland, a win that probably consigns the losers to the wooden
spoon.

Fabio Ongaro got Italy’s first try of the campaign and his first
for his
country – which should not have been given as he knocked it on –
while Simon
Webster grabbed a late consolation effort for the Scots as they went
down to a defeat they probably fully deserved.

The victory probably ensures that the Italians Kiwi coach John
Kirwan gets
a new contract at the end of the season after several papers had
suggested
this was his do or die match – he even received a bullet from a
so-called fan
in the post.

Ongaro will seldom score a more fortuitous try in his career as
the hooker
pounced in the 42nd minute after Stuart Grimes had batted the ball
back from
an Italian line-out three metres out from the Scots line.

The Italian hooker shoved his opposite number Gordon Bulloch out
of the way
and appeared to knock the ball on over the line before grounding it –
the try
was awarded by referee Nigel Whitehouse but if he had referred it to
the video
judge the 26-year-old Ongaro might well have not broken his duck in
tests.
However Ongaro’s try – his first in 19 tests – seemed to spark
some
self-belief into the Italians and Scotland were fortunate to clear
their lines
a few minutes later after Paul Griffen’s shrewd grubber kick had them
in all
sorts of trouble.

The Italians had to reshuffle their backline in the 46th minute
when Manuel
Dallan was unluckily injured after Jason White tackled ,b>Sergio Parisse,
inadvertently knocking the centre to the ground in the process and he
was
replaced by the Kiwi-born Rima Wakarua, whose mother is Scottish.

Paterson missed an opportunity to reduce the deficit to just two
points on
the hour mark but his penalty went wide of the posts to the right.
The Scots, though, produced their most flowing piece of play in
the match
seconds later whenb winger Simon Webster’s darting run saw him beat
three
players but he stumbled just short of the line and the Italians won
the ball
back after the visitors failed to take advantage even though they
encamped on
their line.

De Marigny’s faultless display with the boot – the conversion
attempt apart
– handed the hosts a crucial penalty 10 minutes from time – after a
storming
run from ,b>Cristian Stoica forced the Scots into an infringement –
which edged
them more than a converted try ahead of their ragged opponents at
17-9.

De Marigny, son of French aristocratic stock who moved to
Mauritius,
ensured that Italy wrapped up the match with another sweetly struck
penalty
three minutes from time leaving Kirwan hammering the desk in relief
and
satisfaction.

Webster’s late try was little more than consolation for the woeful
visitors
but just reward for his efforts for being the Scots most incisive
back.

De Marigny had given the Italians an early lead with a crisply
struck
penalty from wide out on the left but the Scots drew level in the
ninth minute
as Paterson slotted a penalty over after an infringement by the
hosts
scrum.

Two minutes later de Marigny restored the three point advantage
with
another penalty – this time in front of the posts – after Simon
Taylor came in
at the side of the ruck.

The Scots did draw level eight minutes from the break when
Paterson
converted a penalty right in front of the posts after one of the few
genuine
penetrating phases of handling the ball started by Kiwi-born centre
Brendan
Laney.

Paterson then gave Scotland a barely deserved lead in the 39th
minute
capitalising on another Italian infringement to kick a penalty and
give them a
9-6 lead.
However de Marigny’s unerring boot handed the hosts another three
points to
send the two sides in on level terms after a distinctly underwhelming
first 40
minutes.

AFP – 2004.