2020 Autumn Nations Cup – Italy vs Scotland Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Italy vs Scotland taking place? Saturday 14th November, 2020 – 12:45 (UK)
Where is Italy vs Scotland taking place? Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence
Where can I get tickets for Italy vs Scotland? This match will be played without spectators
What channel is Italy vs Scotland on? This match will not be televised live in the UK
Where can I stream Italy vs Scotland? Amazon Prime subscribers can stream this match live online
THE TEAM NEWS
ITALY
Starting line-up: 15-Matteo Minozzi, 14-Jacopo Trulla, 13-Marco Zanon, 12-Carlo Canna, 11-Mattia Bellini, 10-Paolo Garbisi, 9-Marcello Violi, 8-Jake Polledri, 7-Braam Steyn, 6-Sebastian Negri, 5-Niccolo Cannone, 4-Marco Lazzaroni, 3-Giosue Zilocchi, 2-Luca Bigi, 1-Danilo Fischetti
Replacements: 16-Leonardo Ghiraldini, 17-Simone Ferrari, 18-Pietro Ceccarelli, 19-Johan Meyer, 20-Maxime Mbanda, 21-Stephen Varney, 22-Tomasso Allan, 23-Federico Mori
SCOTLAND
Starting line-up: Stuart Hogg, Darcy Graham, Chris Harris, Sam Johnson, Duhan van der Merwe, Duncan Weir, Ali Price, Rory Sutherland, Stuart McInally, Zander Fagerson, Scott Cummings, Jonny Gray, Jamie Ritchie, Hamish Watson, Blade Thomson
Replacement: George Turner, Oli Kebble, WP Nel, Sam Skinner, Nick Haining, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, James Lang, Blair Kinghorn
THE PREDICTION
Italy added five more losses to their now 27-match losing streak in the Six Nations and there are whisperings of threat to their status in the tournament with Georgia knocking on the door. Georgia and Italy will likely face-off in the final play-off style round of fixtures to determine the final placings, with that match likely a benchmark for any future decisions. However, with the pressure on, Italy showed some promising signs in 2020 with a host of new young talent available, although defensively they were as porous as usual. They host a Scotland side who wore budding promise much better in the Six Nations this season. Gregor Townsend’s squad will have designs on the top spot in Pool B, with France their main competitors, confident in the knowledge that they were the only team to defeat the all-new blistering French side during the Six Nations campaign. Scotland shut Italy out in a 0-17 edition of this fixture in Rome back in March and whilst the Italians should score here the Scots have improved too and can still cover that -15 gap.
