Six Nations rugby: Live Report

77 mins: Italians are patiently gaining territory here with rolling mauls -- and they set up a great position for Burton just outside the 22 to slot over the drop-goal! That's probably the game for the hosts.

Italy 13 - 6 Scotland.

75 mins: PENALTY ITALY - Burton is going for touch with this one.

Joshua Forno on for Bortolami.

Zanni is back on for Italy who are back to 15 men.

73 mins: Good kick from Jackson into the Italian 22 -- but the lineout is too high for Kellock though and is stolen by Vosawai. The Scots can't afford that kind of basic error.

72 mins: Scrum for Scotland but still inside their own half - spun out wide to the right and another scrum. Painful to watch - Rory Jackson on at stand-off for the Scots.

69 mins: Ten minutes to go - can the Scots make their extra man count? They just need a try to steal it...

66 mins: YELLOW CARD ITALY - Alessandro Zanni off his feet at a ruck and in the sin bin.

Jim Hamilton is back on for the Scots who are back to 15 men and have the numerical advantage now.

More changes for Italy as Martin Castogiovanni is replaced by Tobias Botes.

65 mins: Italian's have made another change as Monoa Vosawai is on for Robert Barbieri on the flank.

64 mins: Good run from De Luca and Laidlaw puts in a kick behind the Italians but it runs over the try-line and it's a 22 drop-out.

61 mins: More from AFP's Barnaby Chesterman in Rome on Italy's try:

"Scotland made to pay for that sin-binning at the end of the first half as Italy find some previously unseen clinical finishing ability."

59 mins: PENALTY SCOTLAND - Kellock taken out in the line-out by Alessando Zanni. And Laidlaw slots it over beautifully to keep the Scots in the hunt.

Italy 10 - 6 Scotland

56 mins: Fabio Ongaro replaced by Tommaso D'Apice for Italy.

55 mins: YEELOW CARD SCOTLAND - Just as the Scots get back to their full complement of 15 players, Jim Hamilton is sin binned for bringing down the maul.

52 mins: Italy prop Andrea Lo Cicero is replaced by Lorenzo Cittadini, while Scotland also make a change as Alastair Kellock replaces big Richie Gray who has taken a knock.

49 mins: And a quick update from my colleague Luke Phillips in Cardiff: "The streets around the Millennium Stadium are heaving as lucky ticket holders drift in for the pre-match entertainment and others set themselves up to watch the game on pub televisions.

"There are lots of fans in fancy dress, including several miners complete with helmets and lamps, and four young women dressed alluringly as sheep. The latter certainly tickled the fancy of the admiring Frenchmen on tour..."

No comment.

48 mins: All Italy now in the sunshine in Rome and the excitable crowd is really getting behind the hosts. The Scots have the weather this storm or they could be out of the contest before they know it.

45 mins: PENALTY SCOTLAND - but Greig Laidlaw just misses it from the righthand touchline. The stadium announcer was talking while he took the kick which isn't great!

43 mins: TRY FOR ITALY! Hosts clearly got a talking to at the break, surged through three phases and Giovanbattista Venditti goes over.

Converted by Bergamasco.

Italy 10 - 3 Scotland.

1332 GMT: Teams back out on the pitch and the game restarts -- can the Scots ride out the first ten minutes down to 14 men?

1321 GMT: A very tight game between these two as expected - disappointing for the Scots to lose De Luca before the break but from replays the yellow seemed merited as he kicked it out of scrum-half Edoardo Gori's hands.

40 mins: HALF-TIME: Italy 3 - 3 Scotland

38 mins: YELLOW CARD SCOTLAND - Edinburgh's Nick de Luca in the sin bin for trying to kick it from the Italian scrum-half's hand.

PENALTY ITALY - But Bergamasco sees his kick drift wide right.

34 mins: PENALTY SCOTLAND - Good scrum from the Scots, pushing the Italians back, and a penalty is awarded. Bit far out for a pop at goal but Greg Laidlaw has a go from 45 metres - and he slots it with a mammoth kick!!

Italy 3 - 3 Scotland

33 mins: Too many stoppages, too many lectures from referee Alain Rolland here - he's not letting the game flow.

31 mins: Both sides are slugging it out here -- but a good line-out take for Italy on halfway and they start a maul but it collapses.

Ten minutes to go to half-time and still Italy 3 - 0 Scotland.

29 mins: More from my colleague Barnaby at the Stadio Olimpico: "An example of Burton's lack of international experience there with that drop goal attempt.

"It really wasn't on, he wasn't in the pocket, there was no logic to it, just a big waste of a good attack."

And a little bit of Argy-bargy after a line-out there, getting a bit tasty as predicted...

28 mins: Penalty to Scotland which is kicked long - Hogg gathers Masi's kick in return and then finds a good touch.

25 mins: Italy on top as they drive into the Scots 22 -- backs to the wall defence for the Scots. Drop-goal attempt by Kris Burton is blocked and Italy knock on. Breathless stuff, Scots scrum.

22 mins: ...but Bergamasco pulls it wide to the left of the posts and it remains Italy 3 - 0 Scotland.

21 mins: PENALTY ITALY - Scots backchat and they're penalised.

Alain Rolland was giving the Italians a talking to over slowing things down at the scrum. Seems clear that that's a tactic.

19 mins: Scotland penalised for hands in the ruck after Stuart Hogg overthrows his third line-out. Scotland have lost all three of theirs so far.

18 mins: "Curious sight with Castro down injured, he took his top off to reveal what could only be described as a sports bra!", AFP's Barnaby Chesterman tells me from the Stadio Olimpico. That's the kind of detail we want!

16 mins: Scrummage reset on halfway, passed out wide by Italy and a good grubber kick through but Scotland mop up outside their own 22.

15 mins: More momentum from Scotland -- but Alain Rolland blows up after a knock on from on the half-way line. Italy's Martin Castogiovanni down holding his ribs.

13 mins: Scotland run the ball back after initial Italian pressure from the re-start -- Evans and Laidlaw link well as they get to the Italian 22.

10 mins: PENALTY TO ITALY: Jim Hamilton gives away a penalty and Mauro Bergamasco slots it over.

Italy 3 - 0 Scotland.

9 mins: Good play by the Italians there getting through a couple of phases in the Scots' half. Scotland are in their traditional navy blue kits with Italy in white jerseys, light blue shorts and white socks.

6 mins: Quick line-out for Scotland but the ball didn't travel far enough - scrum to the Italians in the Scotland half. Italians put a squeeze on there.

3 mins: The game is stopped for treatment to Italy's Gonzalo Canale who picks up a knock tackling Max Evans. He's ok to carry on but is then injured again straight away.

1232 GMT: And they've kicked off in Rome - this could be a bruising encounter...

1231 GMT: Jon Welsh will make his debut at loosehead prop for Scotland in place of Allan Jacobsen, who has suffered an injury in the warm up.

1230 GMT: Anthems in the sunshine at the Stadio Olimpico - Scotland's first and then Italy's is belted it out.

1225 GMT: This is the second year running that Italy are facing Scotland for in the wooden-spoon decider. The Scots came out on top at Murrayfield 12 months ago.

1220 GMT: Team line-ups for Italy v Scotland in Rome:

Italy (15-1)

Andrea Masi (Aironi); Giovanbattista Venditti (Aironi), Tommaso Benvenuti (Treviso), Gonzalo Canale (Clermont/FRA), Mirco Bergamasco (Racing-Metro/FRA); Kris Burton (Aironi), Edoardo Gori (Aironi); Sergio Parisse (Stade Francais/FRA/capt), Robert Barbieri (Treviso), Alessandro Zanni (Treviso); Marco Bortolami (Aironi), Quintin Geldenhuys (Aironi); Martin Castrogiovanni (Leicester/ENG), Fabio Ongaro (Aironi), Andrea Lo Cicero (Racing-Metro/FRA)

Replacements: Tommaso D'Apice (Aironi), Lorenzo Cittadini (Treviso), Joshua Furno (Aironi), Simone Favaro (Aironi), Manoa Vosawai (Treviso), Tobias Botes (Treviso), Giulio Toniolatti (Aironi)

Scotland (15-1)

Stuart Hogg (Glasgow); Max Evans (Castres/FRA), Nick de Luca (Edinburgh), Graeme Morrison (Glasgow), Sean Lamont (Scarlets/WAL); Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh), Mike Blair (Edinburgh); David Denton (Edinburgh), Ross Rennie (Edinburgh), John Barclay (Glasgow); Jim Hamilton (Gloucester/ENG), Richie Gray (Glasgow); Geoff Cross (Edinburgh), Ross Ford (Edinburgh, capt), Allan Jacobsen (Edinburgh)

Replacements: Scott Lawson (Gloucester/ENG), Euan Murray (Newcastle/ENG), Alastair Kellock (Glasgow), Richie Vernon (Sale/ENG), Chris Cusiter (Glasgow), Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow), Jack Cuthbert (Bath/ENG)

Referee: Alain Rolland (IRL)

Touch judges : George Clancy (Ireland), Pascal Gauzere (France)

TV : Tony Redmond (Ireland)

1212 GMT: But first this from AFP reporter Luke Phillips in Cardiff for the Wales v France game kicking off at 1445GMT: "Estimates of 250,000 people in Cardiff seem accurate, the streets thronged a full four hours ahead of kick-off, lots of beret-wearing French fans mingling with the locals in pubs for early pints.

"Boycezone, a seven-strong Max Boyce tribute band have set up at their usual spot between Laura Ashley and Poundland on Queen Street, reproducing the classic songs first released when Welsh rugby hit its highs of the 1970s."

Not sure if we wanted to know that...

1200 GMT: So, first to Rome where my colleague Barnaby Chesterman is at the Stadio Olimpico for what could be a real dogfight to avoid the ignominy of bottom spot at the end of this year's Six Nations table. Both Andy Robinson's Scotland and Jacques Brunel's Italy side are yet to win a game in this season's championship so who will turn the tide?

WELCOME TO AFP'S LIVE REPORT ON THE CLOSING DAY of the Six Nations rugby tournament - can Wales clinch a third Grand Slam in eight years by beating France, or will England take advantage of a Welsh slip-up and snatch unlikely glory by beating Ireland? First it's the battle to dodge the wooden spoon in Rome as Italy take on the Scots, kick-off at 1230 GMT...

Stay with us throughout the afternoon for updates on all the action as it unfolds.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/six-nations-rugby-live-report-115344044.html

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