Italy defeats Scotland 22-10 to open six nations U20 championship

Rome: Scotland opened the 2025 Six Nations Under 20 Championships with a sore loss at Hive Stadium on Friday night, as Italy showcased their pace and power to secure victory with two tries and several penalties adding to Scotland’s defeat.

The match kicked off with Italy starting the game, yet it was Scotland who were quick off the mark, winning two penalties within the first 90 seconds after Jack Brown was taken in the air and another when Italy failed to roll away. Despite some promising attacks, the Scots could not capitalize and faced their first setback when their lineout was deemed squint by referee Sara Cox.

After some determined fighting on defense, Scotland began to assert themselves and managed to drive Billy Allen over the line to score the opening try just after 15 minutes; unfortunately, the conversion attempt was missed (5-0).

Italy responded immediately, almost breaking through thanks to Jules Ducros. Still, a forward pass halted their momentum, leaving Scotland with possession. The Scots, ever eager, pushed for more points but were soon thwarted. It was Federico Zanandrea who capitalized on Scotland’s errors, intercepting the ball and sprinting 40 meters to score Italy’s equalizer under the posts at the half-hour mark, converting his own try (5-7).

By halftime, Scotland found their rhythm and seemed poised to regain control, but errors continued to plague their efforts. Both teams went to the break with Italy holding just a two-point lead.

Following halftime, Scotland struggled to maintain their composure. A disastrous mistake led to Niccolo Beni scoring Italy’s second try less than six minutes after the whistle, widening Italy’s lead to 5-12.

Despite pushing back, Scotland conceded another try, this time from Edoardo Todaro, who finished beautifully between the sticks at the 62nd minute. Fasti’s successful conversion made it 5-19, leaving Scotland with much ground to cover.

Scotland wasn’t ready to surrender just yet; they launched one last offensive push, resulting in Oliver Duncan’s well-earned try at 72 minutes, though the conversion was missed (10-19).

Italy responded firmly, securing their victory with Fasti’s penalty three points just 90 seconds before the final whistle blew, ending the game at 10-22.

Scotland and Italy, both young and dynamic teams, displayed their potential, yet it was Italy who proved more clinical under pressure, using their experience from past championships to emerge victorious. Italy’s success can also be attributed to their organized defensive strategies and swift transitions from defense to attack, as highlighted by head coach Kenny Murray’s observations post-match.

Murray noted, “The big themes in the game were we weren’t clinical enough and our speed to contact,” stressing the need for improvement as Scotland prepares for their next challenge against Ireland.

Overall, Scotland will reflect on this match with plenty to take away. Despite falling short, there were positives, including the performance of their forward pack, which showed promise against Italy’s historically strong scrum. Now, they look forward to the upcoming matches with lessons learned and determination to improve.

The teams featured several absorbing players, with Player of the Match honors going to Edoardo Todaro for his all-around successful performance, proving to be Italy’s catalyst on the field.