Scots 'A' leave it late

Alan Bulloch was demoted to the 'A' side on Friday

Scotland 'A' 33 - 13 Italy 'A'

Scotland 'A' learned a lesson in the perils of complacency that their first-team colleagues will do well to heed.

They did enough, though, for victory over a spirited Italian second string at Old Anniesland.

Graham Hogg's side boasted nine full caps in their starting line-up against the Italian part-timers.

But a mixture of over-elaboration, weak tackling and a dismal kicking display from fly-half Gordon Ross meant the Scots struggled to put paid to the Azzurri.

Bamboozle

Scotland got off to a lively start before a sparse crowd, with Ross directing traffic well and centres Alan Bulloch and James McLaren proving a handful.

It was Italy who opened the scoring when Treviso full-back Corrado Pilat put them 3-0 up with an 11th-minute penalty off the post.

Ross twice had the chance to level matters but he put two relatively easy penalty attempts wide after Italy had strayed offside - and the Scots were made to pay almost immediately.

James McLaren made his presence felt

Nicola Mazzucato intercepted Stuart Reid's wayward pass to Shaun Longstaff 40 metres out, and the 12-times capped winger had the pace to bamboozle his way past the home defence for an opportunist 23rd-minute try.

His Treviso team-mate Pilat fired over a superb touchline conversion to make it 10-0.

Two minutes before the interval Scotland got the break that finally turned their possession into valuable points.

Ross put a punishing deep kick into the corner, and hooker Gavin Scott caught and drove over before emerging from under a pile of bodies with the score.

Soccer-style break

Ross, having a nightmare with the boot, missed the conversion.

For all his kicking woes, Ross was having a lively game in the loose.

On the restart he made a wonderful soccer-style break up the touchline which Bedford's Marco Rivaro did well to hack clear.

The Italians strayed offside from the resulting scrum and allowed Ross to open the second-half scoring from under the posts.

Another penalty after 51 minutes for the same offence meant the fly-half could edge the Scots in front for the first time 11-10.

Tempers frayed

Pilat hammered over another three-pointer four minutes later to put Italy back into a 13-11 lead.

That was the cue for Scotland to wake up, and a Reivers triple act saw full-back David Officer finish off a wonderful sweeping move by getting on the end of a Graeme Burns pass after a splendid Allan Jacobsen break to make it 16-13. Ross missed the conversion.

After 65 minutes, Jacobsen and Italy flanker Salvatore Garozzo were both yellow-carded as tempers began to fray.

But Ross finally found his kicking range with a 67th-minute drop goal.

When winger Longstaff and Scott added two late tries, which Ross converted, it put an undeserved gloss on a second Scotland win of this shadow Six Nations competition.

Scotland's under-21 side ran out 27-9 winners against their Italian counterparts.

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Scotland A: Officer, Mayer, Bulloch, McLaren, Longstaff, Ross, Burns, Jacobsen, G. Scott, Stewart, White, Fullarton, R. Reid, G. Dall, S. Reid.

Replacements: Robertson, Smith, Griffiths, MacFadyen, Fairley, Shiel, Di Rollo.

Italy A: Pilat, Mazzucato, Visentin, Rivaro, Francesio, Preo, Villagra, Guatieri, Comperti, Paoletti, Pennese, David, Ongaro, Garozzo, Piovan.

Replacements: V. Esposito, L. Esposito, Pulli, Dal Maso, Guidi, Mazzariol, Casagrande.

Referee: David Tindall (Ireland)