Tandy and Fagerson Optimistic as Scotland Faces Italy in Six Nations Opener

Saturday’s match presents Scotland with the perfect opportunity to kick off their Six Nations campaign on the front foot. Playing at home in front of a passionate Scottish Gas Murrayfield crowd, they take on the Italian side that has historically struggled in the competition. Since their introduction to the tournament in 2000, the Azzurri have finished in the bottom two in 23 of their 25 campaigns. It looks like the ideal fixture to settle into the tournament – but recent history serves as a warning that nothing can be taken for granted.

Scotland coach Steve Tandy and starting number 8 Matthew Fagerson delivered some positive news ahead of the game. The team has faced multiple setbacks in recent weeks, with captain and centre Sione Tuipulotu, second row Scott Cummings, hooker Dylan Richardson, and back row Josh Bayliss all unavailable. However, on Tuesday, Tandy provided an encouraging update after a training session saw second rows Jonny Gray and Grant Gilchrist, winger Duhan van der Merwe and back row Luke Crosbie back in action following injury concerns.

“They’re excellent,” said Tandy. “Yeah, the boys all trained today. Everyone’s been in training, so that’s great for us after losing a few, but that’s rugby, every team has it. We’ve just got to focus on the boys that are coming in and the amazing opportunity to represent Scotland.”

Tandy also discussed the newest addition to the squad, number 8 Alexander Masibaka, who recently joined the team from France’s PRO D2 side Soyaux-Angouleme. “He’s been around Montpellier and we’re looking at him and the physical attributes he brings to training today. You see some of the qualities there and the potential he has. It doesn’t have to be absolutely perfect right now, but we’ve seen an absolute athlete who knows how to play the game.”

Fagerson echoed this sentiment, saying: “He’s come in full of energy and playing well. It’s great to have him here and he’s contributing a lot at training.” On integrating newcomers, he added: “We make everyone feel welcome regardless of if they’ve been in and around a Glasgow or Edinburgh squad. The environment is welcoming, and the guys and staff make it easy for new additions.”

Glasgow’s Jack Mann, facing his first call-up to the squad, will be hoping for his first cap. On Mann’s transition, Tandy commented: “He’s great, great to work with. I think it’s been brilliant. He’s a great character – just adapting, physical, great attributes and he’s fitted in really smoothly.”

Despite Italy’s past struggles, Scotland is wary of the threat the Azzurri pose. Last year, they suffered a painful defeat in Rome after squandering a 12-point lead. With head coach Gonzalo Quesada at the helm, Italy has sharpened their attacking structure while maintaining their physical edge.

Matthew Fagerson acknowledged Italy’s strength, saying: “They’ve got a quality back row, they’ve got jacklers all over the park, with the likes of (Michele) Lamaro, (Lorenzo) Cannone and (Manuel) Zuliani, who are all fantastic over the ball. That’ll definitely be a challenge at the weekend and something that we’re working on in training.”

“They play a much more expansive game than I’ve seen in the past, and it’s backed up by big winning collisions out of that forward pack, like (Juan Ignacio) Brex and (Tommaso) Menoncello. They had a fantastic situation last year, and they gel really well.”

After a few setbacks and injury concerns, Scotland is bringing a positive attitude into their first match, fully aware of the challenge posed by a stronger than ever Azzurri side. The stage is set for a compelling contest and if Scotland hopes to make a real impact in this year’s Six Nations, they must approach this game with focus, execution and composure.

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