Scotland have no fear going into Rome but understand only they can turn the tide of recent criticism with a complete performance against Italy.
Scrum-half Ali Price celebrates his 50th cap in the Stadio Olimpico but it comes as a barrage of discontent aimed at him and his fellow British and Irish Lions Stuart Hogg and Finn Russell.
Only Hogg has suffered defeat in Italy – and that was ten years ago – but there still seems to be a feeling that the Scots are vulnerable to this Italian team.
Even an Italy that has lost 35 Six Nations games in a row and has conceded more than 30 points in their first three games of the championship and scored just 16 themselves.
‘We’re confident in our abilities’
Ali Price & Tim Visser strike late in the first half to gain a big halftime lead. https://t.co/yRNpaB1Ma7 pic.twitter.com/IBu0LTCFmO
— FloRugby (@FloRugby) June 10, 2017
“There’s no fear,” said Price. “We’re confident in what we’re going to put out on the field tomorrow, we’re confident in our abilities, and we want to just go and express ourselves and put a true reflection of ourselves out there.
“We have not shown the best of us in this tournament. This is a good opportunity to impose our game on another opposition and it doesn’t matter who that is.
“We are out here to do a job and if we can pick up the points we need we put ourselves in a better position in the table for the final weekend.”
As senior and frontline players, Price, Hogg and Russell have been the targets, but that comes with the territory, he says.
“It’s doesn’t sting from external comments, no,” he said. “We’re as disappointed as anybody. We are our harshest critic.
“We are all old enough now, we have the experience, and have been in this situation before. Personally in 2018 I had performances that were not up to scratch and below standard. You have to ride that wave.
“We review every single game and individually review every game with the coaches. Especially so after the France game a couple of weeks ago. We take the learnings on board. Then it is back on us to go out there and perform and do what we are selected to do.”
‘I’m still loving this’
Ali Price ➡️ Duhan van der Merwe 😍
Duhan's second try and Scotland's eighth of the match. pic.twitter.com/q0yQbJYUZW
— Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) March 20, 2021
But this will be a special game for Price, with close friends and family making the trip and an obvious time for reflection.
“I’m still loving this, but at the same time I have matured,” he said. “I am 28 now and there are guys of 21 and 22 in the squad.
“I’m just trying to use my experience. I have been to the ground before, to places that some of the other guys haven’t. I will try to keep some calmness about me. That reflects into my performances now and how I play the game.”
He recalls his debut against Georgia at Kilmarnock “like it was yesterday”. It’s still probably the highlight of a career that has taken him to the Lions, World Cups, and milestone wins in Australia, Paris and London.
“I remember Rugby Park so well,” he said. “That November series was my first involvement in the squad. I was on the bench for the first two games and didn’t manage to get on.
“And so come the third game, the last game of the series, I was ready, I was so excited.
“I remember taking the first step on to the field and thinking ‘I’ve done it, I’ve got there’. Luckily we got a maul penalty quite deep, I managed to take a quick tap. I set up I think it was Hoggy for a score. So it was nice to have a bit of an impact in the game.
“From there I just wanted more. To be sat here now, about to run out for my 50th, is amazing. It’s a dream come true and it will be a very proud moment.”