Canavosio helps Italy turn the tables

Italy 16 Scotland 12: Scotland contemplate wooden spoon after surge from replacement gives Azzurri first Six Nations win since 2008

(Reuters)

Deep into injury time, when Ross Ford was ambushed, the ball turned over and a home victory assured, high up in the main stand Alessandro Troncon smashed his fists down on the table in front of him, turned round and walloped the metal facia of the press box, then jumped on to the coaches' bench in celebration. The table was broken, and so were Scotland.

Scotland have been this way before, against the Azzurri and their talismanic scrum-half-turned-backs- coach. When they lost here on Italy's Six Nations debut day, in 2000, it was Troncon who fired up the home side as captain. It was the same when Italy won their only championship game on the road. On that occasion, three years ago, he paraded around Murrayfield in a pirate's hat. Yesterday the old swashbuckler had to be restrained by his head coach, Nick Mallett, a life on the sidelines having failed to diminish his ability to savour a famous Italian victory – and another at Scotland's expense.

It brought to an end Italy's run of seven championship defeats since Scotland's last match here, in 2008. The Scots have come to grief four times in six trips to Rome. More to the point, they have lost all three of their Six Nations fixtures in 2010 and must beat England at home or Ireland away to avoid a whitewash and a wooden spoon in Andy Robinson's first season as head coach. He was not dancing on any Roman tables last night.

For Scotland, like the roller-coaster contest in Cardiff a fortnight ago, this was one that got away. Allan Jacobsen, their loosehead prop, was twice held up over the line and Sean Lamont, their left wing, was denied by the referee, Dave Pearson, after running in a quick tap-penalty. The only Scottish points came from Dan Parks, the fly-half kicking three penalties and a drop-goal. The damage was done at the other end when Italy's outside-centre, Gonzalo Canale, shot through a gap of barn-door proportions to set up the replacement scrum-half, Pablo Canavosio, for the only try, 13 minutes from time.

"Any losing experience is pretty deflating," Robinson said. "The players put a lot of effort into their performance but we didn't manage the scoreboard well enough and Italy deserve credit for the try they scored that won them the game."

Mirco Bergamasco, Italy's left wing, kicked two penalties in the opening 14 minutes. By the 32nd minute Scotland were level, thanks to a couple of Parks penalties, and they ought to have forged ahead. But when John Barclay was stopped short, there were no team-mates supporting the openside.

Three minutes before the interval, the Scotland No 8, Johnnie Beattie, was dragged down on the left and the cavalry arrived, but too slow to stop Josh Sole from killing the ball. Robinson did not dispute the referee's decision to order a re-taken penalty after Lamont tapped and ran in. The Scotland coach was less than impressed, though, that Sole stayed on the field. "It was clear cut," he said. "If it had been one of my players I would have expected a yellow card."

Mirco Bergamasco kicked his third penalty three minutes into the second half but Scotland regained their momentum, Beattie bursting over the halfway line in an attack that culminated in Jacobsen being driven over the home line in the right corner, with a clutch of Italians in tow. Pearson consulted the Television Match Official, Nigel Whitehouse, who ruled that the ball had been held up. "Allan felt he got over with that first one," Robinson said, "but if you can't see it you can't give it."

Parks dropped a goal that gave the Scots a 12-9 lead but that was to be as good as it got. The pivotal passage came in the 67th minute, Italy's Aussie fly-half, Craig Gower, feeding Canale for the break that was finished off under the posts by Canavosio. The younger Bergamasco brother converted and all that was left for Scotland was the anguish of another video referral going against Jacobsen, eight minutes from time – and the painful sound of the final whistle.

Italy L McLean; A Masi, G Canale, G Garcia (K Robertson, 69), Mirco Bergamasco; C Gower, T Tebaldi (P Canavosio, 52); S Perugini (M Aguero, 69), L Ghiraldini (capt; F Ongaro, 73), M Castrogiovanni, Q Geldenhuys, M Bortolami (C Del Fava, 69), J Sole, A Zanni, Mauro Bergamasco.

Scotland H Southwell; S Danielli (N De Luca, 65), M Evans, G Morrison, S Lamont; D Parks, C Cusiter (capt; M Blair, 55); A Jacobsen (E Murray, 73), R Ford, E Murray (A Dickinson, 69), J Hamilton (N Hines, 69), A Kellock, K Brown, J Beattie (A Strokosch, 55), J Barclay.

Referee: D Pearson (England).