Gregor Townsend says win over Italy will prepare Scotland for what is to come

Gregor Townsend praised Huw Jones-inspired Scotland for holding their nerve to fend off an Italian fightback as they got their Six Nations campaign off to a victorious start for the fifth year in succession.

The Scots led 14-0 after 10 minutes and were 19-6 up at the interval after tries from co-captain Rory Darge, Jones and Ben White, only to be pegged back to 19-19 early in the second half following some impressive goal-kicking from Tommaso Allan and a Juan Ignacio Brex breakaway try after a loose pass from Finn Russell.

But two further scores from centre Jones, completing his first hat-trick for Scotland, took the game away from the Azzurri in the closing quarter as Townsend’s side ran out bonus-point 31-19 winners.

“Well, it’s positive that we started with a win, that we managed to score five tries, so you get maximum points,” said the Scotland head coach. “And to go through that test when we were leading for most of the game and then go 19-19 and come through it, that’s going to prepare us really well for the tests that are going to come.

“There’s going to be times where opposition get momentum, opposition get scores, like today, and it didn’t affect the players’ belief in what they needed to do to get the win.”

Townsend felt his side should have been further ahead at half-time and downplayed any suggestion they lost their way as he pointed out that most of Italy’s points came from long-distance penalties and an uncharacteristic error from talisman Russell.

“I don’t think it was a drop-off,” he said. “Teams are going to get moments where they’re in control or certainly scoring points and they’re a good team, Italy, and it was a runaway try so it wasn’t as if they had a lot of pressure on our line.

“But they did have pressure on our line in the last 10 minutes and I was really pleased with how the team defended and made sure Italy didn’t score any more points.”

Scotland host Ireland next Sunday and Townsend admitted his side will need to step their performance level up a notch if they are to maintain their winning start to the championship.

“We know the tests that are coming but that was a really good test today,” he said. “Italy will be a serious opposition for every team in the championship, they were for us today, very physical, but I believe we’ll have to be better than we were today to win (against Ireland).”

Townsend praised hat-trick hero Jones for his ability to get into scoring positions.

“It’s three tries today, but I reckon Huw’s probably missed out on another five or six tries over the last few games because he’s just not had the ball,” he said.

“He offers himself on brilliant lines that sometimes fixes defences and other people get the space. He supports really well and today the ball found him, and it was through his work off the ball.”

Record try-scorer Duhan van der Merwe, who had trouble with an ankle issue in the weeks leading up to the tournament, received attention from the physio in the first half but the South Africa-born wing stayed on for the full 80 minutes.

“Yeah, he’s fine,” said Townsend. “I was winding him up, I think it was because his ankle strapping was too tight. I said ‘tell us next time’ rather than leaving us worried that you might be injured. But, no, he’ll be fine. Darcy Graham picked up a couple of knocks but again he’ll be fine.”