Here's how we assessed Gregor Townsend's attack in the Six Nations after Scotland lost 31-29 to Italy in Rome.
Italy vs Scotland player ratings
15 Blair Kinghorn: He came in as the first receiver and showed some nice touches on offense. He was out of position at times, but overall Kinghorn met the requirements of the role. Five
14 Kyle Stein: They made good use of their chances and took the lead, but their legs felt heavy when Ross Vincent passed them easily, and then Stephen Varney scored to give Italy the lead. Our defense was not good and we allowed four turnovers. Four
13 Hugh Jones: I couldn't be at my best without my usual center partner, so I lost to my opponent's number today. His best moment was setting up George Horne's disallowed try. Four
12 Cameron Redpath: He made some mistakes defensively, but showed good touch offensively. For a solid outing that doesn't leave too much of an impression. His big carry led to a try giving the Scots a late chance, but it wasn't enough. Five
11 Duhan van der Merwe: He didn't get a try this time, but he had a chance. Van der Merwe picked up the ball well and gained over 90 meters. He was spectacularly denied a try before the break, but he should have been covered on the outside a few times. 6
half back
Ten Finn Russell: All good things come to an end. And today, Russell failed to convert Pierre Schumann's try after knocking over 18/18 attempts in the Championship, resulting in a 100% success rate from the tee in the Six Nations. He led his team to a 22-16 lead for most of the first half. He kicked well for most of the match and did his best to produce the winning score. If he can score, it will come from his magic. 6
9 George Horn: He was the star of the first half and, in conjunction with Russell, Scotland's attack looked in good shape. He appeared to score a deserved try before Schoeman's actions forced it to be canceled. Scotland looked to further manage the game by bringing on Ali Price, but he was caught in the 59th minute. Five
Planet Rugby player evaluation key.
Italy end 11-year wait for Roma victory as Scotland's Six Nations hopes dash
loose forward
8 Jack Dempsey: He kept his team in the match and won the decisive penalty before the break. Like many forwards, he met the requirements of the position but was not all that memorable apart from a key breakdown penalty. Five
7 Rory Durge: Almost as busy as he was around the park on both sides of the ball. His usual standard performance was expected of him and he did not deviate much from it. Five
6 Andy Christie: There was a lot to like about his first Six Nations start, including Russell's superb interception at 50:22 and Schoeman scoring from the resulting lineout. He also made a nice break from another loose ball, but lost the ball in a promising position from there, forcing his teammates to react more quickly. He's committed defensively and good offensively, but his three penalties shows he needs to put in some work. 6
tight five
5 Scott Cummings: Some lineouts in Scotland's attack and defence. His tackle numbers were solid, but he conceded a penalty. Five
4 Grant Gilchrist: Defensively, he is quieter than many of the other forwards. He is also a key lineout man. Four
3 Xander Fagerson: He whitewashed from close range and was solid in the scrum. He was also sharp defensively and won turnovers. 6
2 George Turner: He scored two tries from accurate lineout throws, amassed an impressive number of tackles (16) and scored well from his carries. 7
1 Pierre Schumann: Appeared on the scoreboard and held out in the scrum, but made an incredibly painful mistake of flattening Vincent off the ball and denying his team a try, and Italy scored immediately afterwards, making at least 10 points. It was a point swing. 3
Replacement: Handy cameos from Matt Fagerson and Sam Skinner were not denied this time either, giving Scotland a chance. Scotland asked a lot from their bench because they needed to chase the game, but they didn't get it. Four
read more: 2025 Six Nations fixtures confirmed: kick-off time, venue, dates and more
