'We need a reaction ' - Hooker Stuart McInally hoping for improved Scotland performance against Italy
BySportsbeat
Updated 09/03/2022 at 19:06 GMT
Stuart McInally is hoping for a much improved Scotland performance against Italy this weekend. He said: "We need a reaction from the last couple of weeks, we've not been at our best. Against France we came up against a really good team. I thought they were extremely clinical; they took their opportunities and we didn't."
Stuart McInally of Scotland is tackled by Dan Biggar of Wales during the Guinness Six Nations
Image credit: Getty Images
Scotland hooker Stuart McInally believes his side must take their opportunities if they are to beat a "quality" Italy outfit in Rome.
Scotland opened their campaign with a 20-17 win over England at BT Murrayfield but fell to defeat in Wales by the same scoreline the following week.
And after a disappointing 36-17 defeat to France at home in Round 3, Gregor Townsend's men travel to Italy and then Ireland to conclude their Championship.
McInally believes Scotland have not been clinical enough in the games they have lost and stressed that his side will not be underestimating the challenge posed by Kieran Crowley's men, who the Edinburgh captain believes are better than their defeats to France, England, and Ireland would suggest.
He said: "We need a reaction from the last couple of weeks, we've not been at our best. Against France we came up against a really good team. I thought they were extremely clinical; they took their opportunities and we didn't.
"We gave them opportunities and they scored very quickly because of the skill and the power that they have, but we had our opportunities as well, and we didn't convert them.
"We know we're creating opportunities, we just need to take a few more of them.
"After a week off, everyone is itching to go, and we're really looking forward to Italy now and we know how tough a match this is going to be.
"We've never had an easy match in Rome, it's going to be an incredibly tough Test match, we respect them, and they've played some great rugby in this Championship.
"I believe their scores don't represent the quality that they've been putting out there, so we're really looking forward to it and we can't wait for the challenge."
On Saturday afternoon in the Italian capital, the two sides will be competing for the new Cuttitta Cup, named after former Italy international and Scotland scrum coach Massimo Cuttitta, who spent six years in the role from 2009 and sadly passed away from Covid last year.
It will be a personally significant occasion for McInally after Cuttitta played a big role in his development as he moved from the back row to hooker.
He said: "When I moved to hooker, he was fundamental in the conversations around that, I spoke to him and he was certain that I could [cope] physically scrummaging wise. I was always concerned that I was a little bit tall and he didn't have any concerns about that, so that gave me a lot of confidence.
"He assured me that [he] could work closely with me which we did.
"I have such fond memories working with him and it was so sad last year when we heard the news he'd died.
"I've got nothing but good things to say about Mass, I miss him a lot. He was just full of life, just a good man."
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