Italy edged Scotland 18-15 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Saturday 7 February 2026, grinding out a tense Round 1 victory that confirms the Azzurri are no longer the soft touch of the Six Nations. A crowd of over 65,000 in Rome’s Olympic quarter witnessed a match that was decided by composure under pressure, with Italy holding firm in the final ten minutes to protect a slim three-point lead.

Ange Capuozzo was electric at full-back, his counter-attacking runs from deep repeatedly turning Scottish kicks into Italian territory. One break from inside his own 22 in the 38th minute set up a try for winger Monty Ioane, a passage of play that shifted the momentum decisively before half-time. Captain Michele Lamaro led the forward effort with relentless carrying and tackle counts that topped the chart on both sides, while Paolo Garbisi controlled the game from fly-half with four penalties and a conversion. Italy’s pack, long considered their weakness, competed ferociously at the set piece, winning two crucial scrum penalties in the second half that allowed Garbisi to nudge the score beyond Scotland’s reach.

Scotland arrived in Rome with ambitions of building on their recent improvement under Gregor Townsend, but they were unable to impose the expansive game plan that has brought them success in recent campaigns. Finn Russell’s creativity was stifled by an Italian defence that refused to give him space to operate. Duhan van der Merwe, the tournament’s all-time leading try scorer, was kept quiet by aggressive scramble defence on the flanks. Stuart Hogg, now in the twilight of an outstanding career, orchestrated Scotland’s best passage of play in the second half, a sustained period of pressure that yielded a penalty try in the 62nd minute and briefly brought the visitors level at 15-15. However, Scotland could not find another score when it mattered most.

Italy’s trajectory in the Six Nations has been one of the tournament’s most compelling stories. After years of heavy defeats and wooden spoon finishes, the Azzurri have become genuine competitors. Their victory over Wales in 2022 ended a 36-match losing run in the championship, and since then they have beaten Scotland, France, and Wales in successive tournaments. This latest result in Rome, achieved through defensive discipline and tactical maturity rather than individual brilliance alone, suggests Italy’s growth is structural rather than a series of one-off upsets.

Kick-off was at 15:10 CET in Rome, which was 14:10 GMT for viewers in the United Kingdom, 09:10 EST for those on the east coast of North America, and 06:10 PST on the west coast. Check the current time in Rome or Edinburgh for conversions to your local schedule. The early afternoon slot in Italy made for a vibrant atmosphere as Saturday crowds poured in from across the city, with the Stadio Olimpico’s open bowl catching the low winter sun. Italy’s next fixture will test whether they can carry this confidence away from home.